Chris Paul is Jordanesque, Chris Paul is a great human being, blah blah blah. Tony Parker put up a very similar stat line to everyone's favorite point guard last night, his Spurs got the win, and all I can hear is praise for CP3. Can we please give it a rest people, at least for one day?
For a single night, in the Spurs' Game 3 victory over the Hornets, I believe this to be true: that Tony Parker was at least just as good -- and possibly better --than Chris Paul. Statistically, they were virtually identical: Paul scored 35 points on 15-25 shooting, with two rebounds, nine assists, and just one turnover, while Parker had 31 on 12-24, four rebounds, 11 assists, and three turnovers. And as a reminder (because it's hard to hear over everyone's extremely loud praise-singing of Paul), the Spurs actually won the game.
As a team, the Spurs had assists on 13 more of their buckets than the Hornets did, and that's in large part to Parker creating and then his teammates making one more pass to get a wide open shot. This is a big reason why the Spurs were 11-25 from three-point land, while the Hornets were just 2-11. With Bruce Bowen all over Peja Stojakovic, and most of Paul's passes going towards the rim or to David West for a jump shot, the Hornets weren't able to get the open looks from behind the arc that the Spurs got, and that was largely due to Parker's playmaking.
There's no doubt that Chris Paul has had an incredible season, and an even more incredible playoffs. And he may end up being the greatest ever. But after a game in which Tony Parker played just as well and lead his team to the win, I think it's okay to not praise Chris Paul for a day. I'm sure he'll get over it.
ADVERTISEMENT
_thumbnail.jpg "NASCAR Cowboy Hats")
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. Unfortunately this is the trend now. Last summer after Lebron James scored 25 point in a quarter and overtime, he was labelled the single greatest great since greatness, the summer before that Dwayne Wade was going to be greater than even Michael Jordan. Hyperbole is the new moderation and based on that, Chris Paul is the bestest best since best was invented.
Posted at 2:10PM on May 9th 2008 by Jazz Fresh
2. i'm about to say something i never thought i would say. thank you, brett edwards. i am so sick of the widespread tossing of chris paul's salad. jon barry said he had "the brain of magic johnson with the skills of isiah thomas". please. i don't think magic or isiah was allowed the many traveling, palming and charging violations that cp3 seems to get away with on nearly every drive to the basket. if anyone was isiahesque last night, it was parker.
i don't want to sound like a cynical bastard, but are we supposed to believe paul is a beautiful human being because he wrote some sick kid's name on his shoe. if you want to be a philanthropist, just do it. why do you need validation for it on national tv. what an egomaniac.
he ruined bruce bowen's streak of games played by grabbing his leg and acting like he got kicked. although, stu jackson deserves most of the blame.
i used to like chris paul, but the national spotlight has revealed some huge character flaws in this young punk's personality. chris paul is a jerk. chris paul is not unstoppable, i'm waiting for the spurs to realize all they have to do is force him to go left. the hornets are a bunch of thugs. it's time for the spurs to take them down like the bullies they are. 3 more to go.
Posted at 2:23PM on May 9th 2008 by dave
3. This coming from the guy who constantly pole jocks Kobe and the Lakers.
Posted at 2:30PM on May 9th 2008 by Violators0
4. Spurs won, that is all that matters. Why do you care so much who had the better game?
But if that is important to you, the answer is definitely Chris Paul. He shot 10% higher percentage from the field, had more points, and a better assist-to-turnover ratio. But where the biggest difference between the two lies is defensively. Paul is one of the best defensive players in the league and really disrupts an offense with his quickness.
Also, let's not kid ourselves. Parker played great, but the Spurs lose that game without Ginobli having a great game.
Posted at 2:50PM on May 9th 2008 by instant35
5. good call, jazz fresh. chris paul is this year's dwayne wade. except instead of going to the free throw line a hundred times a game he gets to travel, double dribble, carry the ball and charge like he's an nfl fullback. i call bullsh*t!
Posted at 2:57PM on May 9th 2008 by dave
6. WOW! Brett, you are a genius, you should go to Harvard and get an MBA and then become President. You jealous or something, sounds like it. By the way, CP3, unlike Ali, has not said he's the greatest. Ali was pretty great but my personal favorite was Ezzard Charles. Rocky was great but my personal favorite was Ezzard Charles.
Don't get over it Brett, I might have to write something insightful to respond to your inanity.
Posted at 3:17PM on May 9th 2008 by bdhpoet
7. Really? How can you even compare someone who is the third option on his team versus someone who is the first option on an otherwise mediocre team.
SA gears there entire defense around stopping Paul. The Hornets are much more worried about double teaming Duncan in the post and stopping Ginobli than stopping Parker.
Posted at 3:51PM on May 9th 2008 by instant35
8. instant35, I can easily say that the Spurs we wequally concern with West, who burns them, and Peja, who burned them last game, as the Hornets were stopping Duncan and Manu. The reason why those two had such a great game, was because they were play each other one on one, and either Parker or Pual can guard the other.
Posted at 4:19PM on May 9th 2008 by B-ball fan 11
9. I don't want to put a damper on your hate-parade against Chris Paul... but you might want to consider that T-Pizzle has been in the NBA for six years now while CP3 is only in his second year.
Therefore I understand the hype around his personna and I agree: CP3 is outstanding! Everyone denying that must be hater... sorry!
PS: CP3 4 MVP! (Kobe just got the award because he's so "old" and didn't have one yet.)
Posted at 4:19PM on May 9th 2008 by 0nyx
10. B-Ball, that is pretty ridiculous. Did you really just compare David West and Peja to Duncan and Ginobli? Did you catch which one of those 3 (Peja, West, or Paul) was All-NBA first team? Paul is clearly the focus of SA's defense. Also, almost everything Peja gets is off of Paul driving and getting double teamed and kicking it out to him. Also, West never even was considered a good player until Paul got there. He is solid, but he seriously benefits from Paul commanding so much attention.
I hope you don't think I'm being biased, because I'm not a NO fan and I hope the Spurs win the serious. I really just think comparing Parker to Paul is unintelligent.
Posted at 5:58PM on May 9th 2008 by instant35
11. "all I can hear is praise for CP3. Can we please give it a rest people, at least for one day?"
You need to give it a rest. You've done nothing but rag on the Hornets since the playoffs started. You picked Dallas, you picked the Spurs, you wrote an idiotic article on David West being too cocky because he clapped a little to close to a guys face, and now you write this. Only a moron like you could not be impressed by CP3's performance last night.
Posted at 6:00PM on May 9th 2008 by Sim
12. this writer sux.i hope he gets fired
Posted at 6:25AM on May 10th 2008 by Vedant
13. If the Spurs are going to have any chances ?
Popovich better star Manu Ginobili in all the games that are left !
Posted at 3:58PM on May 10th 2008 by frank
14. Oh, and for everyone that's saying the Chris Paul double dribbles, travels, etc etc...I'll say he does all of those things as much as every other star in the NBA. Which is not as much as everyone makes it sound.
@Dave: "i don't want to sound like a cynical bastard, but are we supposed to believe paul is a beautiful human being because he wrote some sick kid's name on his shoe. if you want to be a philanthropist, just do it. why do you need validation for it on national tv. what an egomaniac.
he ruined bruce bowen's streak of games played by grabbing his leg and acting like he got kicked. although, stu jackson deserves most of the blame.
i used to like chris paul, but the national spotlight has revealed some huge character flaws in this young punk's personality. chris paul is a jerk. chris paul is not unstoppable, i'm waiting for the spurs to realize all they have to do is force him to go left. the hornets are a bunch of thugs. it's time for the spurs to take them down like the bullies they are. 3 more to go."
That might be the most idiotic thing I've ever read.
Posted at 9:22PM on May 10th 2008 by Chris
15. Kobe sucks edwards no trophy will change that you little bitch.
Posted at 9:18AM on May 11th 2008 by Buvi Duvi
16. you got it right. cp3 who.
Posted at 1:18PM on May 11th 2008 by jbrat
17. Chris Paul was not even being guarded by the Spurs best defender in this game.
The Spurs have said that their game plan was to just let Paul get his points, and make life difficult for everyone else.
And even then he is barely capable of tying Parker's stats...
Get off Dead-Ball-Flopper-Paul's jock.
Posted at 7:47PM on May 11th 2008 by steve