Chris Paul has had an incredible impact on big men throughout his career. He is one of the most skilled players in the NBA who’s led to many great plays and shot attempts. His impact on the game has been felt by all, but he has also made a huge impact outside of basketball as well.
Chris Paul has had an incredible impact on big men throughout his career. Chris Paul is currently 33 years old and he still plays at a high level.
We all have someone who has affected the course of our life as we’ve grown up. All power forwards or centers who have played with Chris Paul in the NBA seem to have been favorably impacted. When you look back at the teams who had Paul on their roster, you’ll see that the team’s big man had one of his finest seasons under Paul’s leadership.
Paul has helped big players improve their game from his beginnings in New Orleans to his present club, the Phoenix Suns. Let’s take a look at how some of these guys saw their careers take off when Paul joined the team.
David West is a writer who lives in the United
When New Orleans was still known as the Hornets, West was selected with the 18th overall selection in 2003. After putting up mediocre numbers in his first two seasons, he had a career breakthrough when West and Paul teamed up for their second full season. West averaged 17.4 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 51.2 percent in 2005-2006. He was voted the league’s Most Improved Player of the Year in that season.
Due to the team’s lack of genuine post players in 2006-2007, West was forced to play as the starting center. Despite missing 30 games due to an elbow ailment, West averaged 18.3 points and 8.2 rebounds in that season. By the 2007-2008 season, West and Paul had developed genuine synergy, and the two were chosen for the All-Star game together.
West’s appearances in the All-Star Game were limited to the 2008 and 2009 seasons. West scored 21.0 points per game for the first time in his career in 2009. Following 2011, West had one good scoring season with the Indiana Pacers, but his output never recovered. During that time, West even collaborated with Paul George. West won a championship with the Warriors in his last two seasons, but he was in his 30s and no longer the same talent.
Jordan, DeAndre
Jordan was selected in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. Paul has played three complete seasons before being dealt to the Clippers. Before Paul arrived, his best season was 2010, when he averaged 7.1 points and 7.2 rebounds.
Jordan and Paul took two years to gel, but by year three, Jordan was one of the league’s greatest overall centers. Jordan has three consecutive seasons in which he shot at least 70% of his field goals or better, from 2014-2015 to 2016-2017. Jordan’s first All-Star selection came in 2017, when he topped the league in shooting percentage with 71.4 percent.
In 2016, Jordan was named to two All-Defensive First Teams as well as an All-NBA team. He also led the league in rebounding in 2014 and 2015. In today’s game, we can see how Paul has aided players like Ayton, Deandre. We must remember that he went through a similar transition with Jordan back in the day.
Capella Clipt
Capella made his NBA debut with the Houston Rockets in 2014. Capella had already completed three seasons by the time Paul arrived in town. Capella had a career-high 12.6 points and 8.1 rebounds towards the conclusion of his third season.
Paul had already spent 12 years in the NBA before he came in Houston in 2017. He didn’t have to wait two to three years to form connections like he used to. When he first started playing with Capella, the two hit it off right away, and Capella set career highs in every category.
That began their first year together, when Capella averaged 13.9 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Then, with 16.6 points and 12.7 rebounds per game, he set a new career best. Capella scored 23 points and grabbed 25 rebounds at one point during the season. He came in second in the Most Improved Player vote, showing that centers improve when Paul is on the field with them.
Deandre Ayton
That takes us to the Sun’s 2018 No. 1 overall selection, our last player. Paul has reportedly helped Ayton alter his game and take it to the next level, according to Ayton. When looking at the numbers, Ayton averaged 18.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. This year, all three of those categories are down, but let’s take a closer look.
Ayton’s field goal percentage increased this year from 54.6 percent to 62.6 percent. Along with his 14.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks, he also has 14.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks. Despite his lower scoring statistics, Ayton is making better shots and completing more. Ayton doesn’t have to play like the team’s second scoring option with Paul and Devin Booker on the roster. At the tender age of 22, Ayton resembles a more polished DeAndre Jordan.
If you pay attention to the Suns, you’ll see that Ayton is also a lot more aggressive player on defense. Paul, who has been named to the All-Defensive team nine times, takes defense extremely seriously. From West to Jordan to Capella and now Ayton, it’s clear that when Paul is on the team, their entire game elevates to a new level.
Related Tags
- chris paul career points
- who does chris paul play for
- chris paul career stats
