The Phoenix Suns defeated the Portland Trailblazers on Thursday night and continued their quest for a top-3 finish in the Western Conference standings. Guard Chris Paul continued his form of aggression and, as a result, is being debated as a potential NBA MVP award winner.
Led by the prestigious future hall at each end of the court, the Suns hold second-best record in the league at 25-11. Paul has been an elite point guard in the NBA throughout his career, leading the league four times in assists and six times in steals. The veteran has never won an NBA MVP award in his career but has come close to once or twice. The 35-year-old finished seventh in the polls last season, but there is a case for him finally getting his hand on the prestigious award in 2021.
Below we set out the reasons why Chris Paul could win an NBA MVP award.
NBA MVP 2021: Why Chris Paul is the dark horse for the award
Chris Paul is having another exciting season. After leading the non-Oklahoma City Thunder side to the 5th seed in the Western Conference stacked last year, the guard received a point of high praise. He was in an MVP debate, even though he was a stranger to winning.
Considering the performance in Oklahoma, many expected that with a move to Phoenix, Chris Paul would follow his big form on a better team. After a slow start, Paul has certainly met expectations, thus raising his profile for MVP.
Rising to second place in the West just before the All-Star break, the Phoenix Suns have stormed to 17 wins in their last 20 games. They now look like the team that many expected to challenge for the LA Lakers and LA Clippers in the West. The franchise persuaded All-Star guard Devin Booker to stay on time and his loyalty was rewarded by a strong support team.
Chris Paul directs the star support of the franchise. While Booker is the overall winner, Paul is the team’s heartbeat on the floor. In his 16th year, Paul’s numbers are as consistent as ever, however, what he offers is beyond the stat page making his case for MVP.
Chris Paul’s ability and style of play is one of the most popular in the league. A point guard who controls the speed of the game, can bypass the ball and score effectively. Paul shoots an impressive 48.5% off the field and a high 95.6% career rate from the free throw line.
Paul’s vision on the court and his ability to play is unparalleled, which is why he averages 9.4 assists over his career. Among the point guards who have played over 30 games this season, he runs in the top 5 for added wins, efficiency ratings, and assist ratios. His offensive rating is stellar 122, while his level of defense remains strong at 110.
With Paul running the offense, the Suns are ranked fifth in the league in offensive rankings, ahead of the Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets. The Suns net rate is +6.6 per 100 properties with Paul on the floor and -0.2 without.
Paul currently leads the NBA’s sixth-best defense with 1.1 steals per game, even though this number is half his career average of 2.2. Despite its size, CP3 captures 4.3 defensive rebounds per game and has a defensive win ratio of 1.5.
When Suns star Steve Nash won the award, his yield was lower than that of players Amar’e Stoudemire and Shaquille O’Neal. But it was the overall victory of the all-night guard that eventually won him an MVP award. While he led the league in assists, Nash’s points, rebounds and steals were lower than Chris Paul’s current.
With LeBron James, Joel Embiid, and Nikola Jokic currently leading the MVP race, it’s going to be hard for Paul to win the award. But if the Suns record continues to play at a high level led by the old point guard, it may make a case for itself to take home the MVP award.