David West puts Chris Paul in the same defensive categorty as Jason Kidd and Gary Payton
When discussing Chris Paul, fans immediately think of his exceptional passing skills. However, according to David West, who played alongside the ‘Point God’ during their time with the New Orleans Hornets, CP3 deserves to be placed on the same pedestal as Jason Kidd and Gary Payton when it comes to defensive prowess.
"Yeah, Definitely," West said about Paul being on the same level as GP and Kidd. "He was an off-ball defender. He is very competitive… his competitiveness kept him in the fight against bigger guards. What he was and who he was kept him at the upper echelons of the point guard position."
Is CP3 an elite perimeter defender like Payton and Kidd?
As the former 6’8” power forward rightly mentioned, Paul’s competitive fire on the defensive end has always made him capable of guarding even taller and stronger players. Being an undersized guard himself, the 12-time All-Star made a living by stealing the ball and playing hard-nosed defense on the perimeter. And the fact that he has led the league in steals for a whopping six seasons justifies exactly that.
While CP3 may not be viewed as a top-tier isolation defender like Payton or Kidd by some, his nine All-Defensive Team honors, matching those of the other two legends, underscore the defensive respect he rightfully deserves.
Though Paul has historically been one of the premier perimeter defenders, this season has marked a downturn in his defensive performance. He’s currently averaging a career-low 1.2 steals per game and has recorded his worst defensive season with a 114.6 rating.
Chris has always been a special talent
When CP3 joined the Hornets, West noticed something special about him right away. Unlike many young players, Paul wasn’t just polished; he was lightning-fast and had an uncanny ability to read and intercept plays. Additionally, given his diverse ‘bag of tricks,’ Paul’s scoring and playmaking prowess elevated the winning prowess of the entire team.
West not only saw Paul making giant leaps from winning the ROY award in 2006 to being a runner-up for both the MVP and DPOY awards in just his third year, but during their time together on the court, West also reached his peak performance-wise, averaging 19.2 points and 8.0 rebounds per game from 2005 to 2011 - all thanks to the North Carolina native.
