Chris Paul established himself as one of the best playmakers and pickpockets in NBA history, but one aspect of the future Hall of Famer’s game often flies under the radar. Standing at exactly six feet on a good day, CP3 is one of the smallest players in the association, yet has received nine All-Defensive nods throughout his career.
Advertisement
Dwyane Wade, a close friend of Paul’s, discussed the point guard’s greatness while hosting a group of basketball influencers on his podcast. When he asked MaxisNicee, a basketball impersonator, how he would score on the Spurs’ playmaker, the 26-year-old dove into his first-hand experiences with Paul.
“I met CP twice, and seriously he’s like not even six feet, he’s like 5’11” damn near,” the influencer responded. “It’s crazy to see how much of a GOAT CP3 is at his size… So I’m not even gonna say I’m gonna score on him, he’s the GOAT. But if I had to, I think I’d get in the post and give him a lay.”
When the question was directed at Chris Johnson, the trainer had a different perspective with his response. He acknowledged MaxisNicee’s plan to score on the undersized guard in the post, but Johnson doesn’t think it would be a successful strategy for the impressionist.
“Here’s the thing, I watched CP3 all this summer, ’cause he’s a hooper too by the way,” Johnson said. “I know [Max] said you’d take him in the post. I ain’t never seen someone 6-foot-1 guard that says ‘Switch! I got the big!’… I watched him guard 7-footers. I watched him knock the ball out of there.”
Johnson stressed that Paul was trying to prove a point to both his son and his own son, Little Chris, that smaller guards could defend big men. The renowned NBA trainer recalled that none of the footage from the run was released to the public, but Chris Paul held his own against players who towered over him by nearly a foot.
After the run, Johnson flipped the cameras on to pick CP3’s brain regarding his defensive strategy. “Before he get in, I’m chuckin’ him, boom,” he recalled Paul’s words. “And then when [CP3] set the tone, they can’t find him no more, he disappears.”
Chris Paul has been a top defensive guard since entering the NBA
At this point in his career, Chris Paul’s defensive skillset is no secret; it’s just simply underrated compared to the other aspects of his ‘Point God’ repertoire. Still, Paul has made a name for himself as a pest over the years, also notching six steals titles alongside his All-Defensive nominations. It’s no surprise that he has been listed as one of the greatest point guards in NBA history by many.
In order to be effective on defense as an undersized guard, CP3 has had to be tenacious on that end of the floor. He’s known to give his target little room to breathe, constantly hounding them and surprising them with sudden movements.
Pushing 40 years old, Paul is no longer a lockdown defender, but he’s still never averaged less than a steal per game. At this point, he is currently averaging 2.0 steals. His instincts and prior experiences remain with him, making CP3 an effective pest even in the twilight of his career.
