KEY POINTS

  • Chris Paul was traded to the Phoenix Suns during the 2020 offseason
  • The Suns became a title contender and have ended a decade-long playoff drought
  • Paul's importance to his team is highlighted perfectly by a Twitter user

Regarded as one of the greatest NBA point guards of his generation, future Hall of Famer Chris Paul still isn't spared from occasional discourtesy.

Whether its Paul's connection with the Los Angeles Clippers before or his failure to win a ring, some naysayers still underappreciate the 11-time All-Star and nine-time All-NBA awardee.

A Twitter user, @NinjaBands, perfectly encapsulated Paul's importance to the Phoenix Suns, and even his former team, Oklahoma City Thunder, in a tweet captioned, "Never underestimate the Chris Paul effect".

Along with fellow All-Star Devin Booker and budding center DeAndre Ayton, the floor general has led the franchise to its first playoff appearance since the Steve Nash era.

The tweet also noted that prior to last season, ESPN's BPI gave the Thunder a 0.2% chance to enter the post-season.

Paul was traded to the Thunder that off-season from the Houston Rockets for Russell Westbrook.

The Thunder boldly defied expectations, finishing with a 44-28 record, clinching the fifth-seed in a stacked Western Conference.

Coincidentally, Paul and the Thunder faced his former team Houston in the first round, pushing them to seven games before ultimately falling short in the series.

This time around, the 35-year-old veteran just ended a decade-long playoff drought for the 44-18 Suns, showing his incredible value for the team.

Paul is already the Suns' assists (8.7/game) and steals leader (1.4), and is their second-leading scorer (16.2) behind Booker.

ESPN advanced statistics point that of 523 NBA players, Paul is no. 14 in Real Plus-Minus (RPM).

Moreover, he is ninth in estimated wins added (9.6), a measure how better a players makes a team's overall win-loss record.

According to basketball Reference, Paul also leads his squad in Win Shares (8) and Value Over Replacement Player (3.2).

Paul has career averages of 18.3 markers, 4.5 boards, and 9.4 dimes. As his career winds down, he will have accomplished virtually everything professional athletes dream of—hate him or not.

He is expected to continuously put in amazing numbers by playing at a high level in the playoffs as he shoots for his first championship ring.

Chris Paul #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder
Chris Paul #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder Getty Images | Mike Ehrmann
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