Chris Paul: League Leader

 

        Chris Paul, in year 16 of his NBA career, has the Phoenix Suns at the top of the Western Conference as the NBA regular season nears its conclusion. With the young stud guard Devin Booker and up-and-coming big man in DeAndre Ayton, the Suns are looking to make a deep
run in the playoffs. However, this article isn't really too much about the statistical impact of Chris Paul in 2021, it's about the impact of Paul's leadership and how it's something that didn't get talked about enough prior to this season. 

One of the things that athletes are measured on through there careers is if they had won a championship or how many finals appearances they have. Paul, like other superstars, has been criticized for that most of his career. With not having an NBA Finals appearance, thus far, some believe that he can't be classified as one of the top-tier Point Guard's of all-time. I believe the criticism to be fair but at the same time unfair. The qualities of Paul's game that, in my opinion, put's him in amongst the greatest Point Guard's in NBA history is two things: Consistency and leadership. For his career, he is averaging 18.3 points per game, 9.4 assists and 4.5 assists. Never being a "scoring guard" and more of a "traditional guard" these are top-tier numbers. The game has changed since Paul's arrival in the league and now you see more of the scoring guards like Dame Lillard, Stephen Curry, Donovan Mitchell, etc. But, even with that, what Paul has accomplished and with the statistics it's no doubt that he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame when he decides to walk away from the game. 

He has won consistently through his career and been a vocal leader on-the-court and off. Also, to note, he moved into the top 5 list in all-time assists and steals this season. 

In 2020, Paul was traded to from the Houston Rockets to the Oklahoma City Thunder for superstar guard Russell Westbrook. It was said, when the trade happened, that his [Paul's] career was going to die there. No more Westbrook, a team of young players and no other all-star players. There wasn't much complaining from him through the media, he did what he always has done in his career. This team had battled through the season and you saw a great amount of team unity and chemistry grow, especially in the bubble. Paul helped lead this team to a 5-seed in a star-studded western conference with a record of 44-28 (shortened season - not a full 82-game season).  

Beyond what numbers Paul put up on the court, I'm honestly one to say his impact on teams chemistry and his off-the-court impact. I think that people really developed a greater appreciation for what he [Paul] does off the court during last summer inside the NBA bubble (which was created to help isolate the NBA during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic) after the murders of George Floyd and Breanna Taylor, by the police in their hometowns. But, the NBA players and the league used their platform as nationwide protests started to take place. The teams took some days off to keep attention on the social injustice that has been happening throughout the United States with hopes to address that more. Also, players did interviews and took to social media to voice their opinions and their feelings about how they felt on the state of country. As the league is made up of majority minority players, I believe this held a lot of weight and helped push the conversation even more. The players like LeBron James, Donovan Mitchell, Jamaal Murray, Paul and many others used their platform through their entire time in the bubble and even beyond. However, while everyone used their platform to talk about social injustices and bringing more attention the country's divide, what Paul had been doing was a little more unique.

 He [Paul] was bringing more attention to Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's) through his apparel. Every day you could see him wearing a hoodie or some sort of article of clothing that was from an HBCU and would even have the school displayed on his signature Jordan's. This was something that gained a lot of attention and was one of the most memorable things from the bubble season of the NBA. It was something that hasn't really been done by a player of his stature and it was refreshing and encouraging to see that type of representation for those Colleges and Universities. It's not something that has been displayed much through NBA history. Most of these players, like Paul, don't come from HBCU's and normally the NBA doesn't market those schools as they many players haven't come from there. And this is important to see a player consistently promote those school and explain the importance of those schools. However, he didn't only wear HBCU apparel, even more important to the significance of his leadership, he also announced that he would continue his education at North Carolina A&T, a prestigious HBCU.

Chris Paul hasn't had the storied career of guys like Magic Johnson or Isaiah Thomas and doesn't have the dynamic shooting and scoring history of Stephen Curry or Dame Lillard, hasn't been able to advance to an NBA championship. But, the leadership and consistency he's displayed through his lengthy career has been nothing short of remarkable! Every organization he has been with has made the playoffs while he was there and for the most part has been the key component of the team and their success.   Currently, Paul and the Phoenix Suns have the second best record in the NBA and the best record the franchise has seen in over a decade ( best winning percentage since 2006-07 season) after they missed the playoffs last season. And while I don't know if this team will dominate in the playoffs or win a championship. I know that the leadership that Paul has added has help elevate the young players on the team, brought toughness, work ethic and a winning mentality to an organization that has been in desperate need of it for over a decade. 

8 Must-See NFL Games In The 2021-22 Season

   

        The NFL just released the schedule for the upcoming 2021 season on May 12. This was highly anticipated as we just wrapped up the NFL draft. Now that we have had time to see the additions to every team and have had time to calm down from the Super Bowl, it is time to look into the 2021-22 season. 

In this list, I have stayed away from using in-division games. So, with that that being said here is the list:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New England Patriots - Week 4 - Tom Brady will have a chance to return to Foxborough for the first time since leaving. Brady and the Buccaneers are coming off a very impressive Super Bowl win against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Patriots had one of their worst seasons in the past two decades. However, the Patriots spent a lot of money in free agency, will have key players returning who opted out due to Covid-19 in 2020, drafted key pieces who could contribute in year one. And with a possibility of either having Cam Newton or rookie Mac Jones starting at quarterback, it'll be a very intriguing game with all of the storylines. 

Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens - Week 2 - This could be a preview of the AFC championship game, it really has that type of potential. The last time these two teams met, 2019, and the Chiefs walked off the field victorious 33-28. But with this game being early in the season. It'll be important to see if the Super Bowl hangover, for losing teams, is real or just a myth as the Chiefs look to keep their winning ways with hopes of returning to a championship team. And the Ravens, led by Lamar Jackson, are looking to get over the playoff woes they've suffered the past two seasons.  

Tamp Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Rams - Week 3 - This will be a highly anticipated game in the early part of the season. The Rams will have a new look on offense after acquiring Matthew Stafford, quarterback,  from the Detroit Lions. Stafford will have an opportunity to join the ranks of the elite quarterbacks in the league with the Rams who will look to make a deep playoff run. And of course Brady vs the defense led by All-Pro and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald. 

Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys - Week 10 - These teams played in 2020 and it was one to talk about for Cowboys' fans. Dallas trailed for almost the entire game and Atlanta, in Atlanta style, blew the lead and ended losing the game 40-39 . However, most interesting part of this is, the head coach of the Falcons who blew the lead, Dan Quinn, is now the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys.  I'm sure the Falcons roster will like to avenge the loss they took in 2020. And I'm also sure Dan Quinn would like to get the one over his former team. I expect a high-scoring game again in 2021. 

New York Jets at Carolina Panthers - Week 1 - This will be a great way to start the season! It'll be a redemption game for Panthers' quarterback, Sam Darnold. This will be a good opportunity for us to see if the New York Jets quarterback, Zach Wilson and no. 2 overall draft pick in 2021, was worth moving on from Darnold for. Darnold was the former first-round selection by the Panthers in 2018. Now, with both having moved on, it's time to see what the new-look Jets have for us. And the Panthers seem to have their quarterback in Darnold. Both teams are looking to move from the basement of the National Football League and turn their organizations around. 

Green Bay Packers at Kansas City Chiefs - Week 9 - This could potentially be a Super Bowl preview. But more than that, this would be the first time we could get Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers on the field in the same game. Last time the Chiefs and Green Bay met in the regular season, Matt Moore was at quarterback for the Chiefs. This is all assuming that Aaron Rodgers is still with the Packers and both are healthy. Aaron Rodgers is the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player and both teams have a similar expectation for the season. Both teams have a loyal and probably the most historic fan bases in the league. 

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals - Week 4 - It's being talked about as the "battle of no.1 picks" as Joe Burrow (Bengals no.1 overall pick in 2020) and Trevor Lawrence (no.1 overall pick 2021) are expected to take the field. The Jaguars are now under former college football head coach, Urban Meyer will look to show they are improved from last year. This was the first team that Burrow got his first win over in 2020. I think the most interesting part of this could be the coaching. While Meyer was successful at the collegiate level, will he repeat that success in the NFL? And will Zach Taylor finally show that he was the right coaching hire for the Cincinnati Bengals? This game should show us which direction that both teams are going in. 

Los Angeles Rams at Baltimore Ravens - Week 17 - This is strictly a revenge game for the Rams. The last time these two teams met in 2019, the Ravens dominated in Los Angeles with a final score of 45-6.  Lamar Jackson, Ravens' quarterback, had an outstanding 5 touchdowns in that game! I anticipate this game will have huge playoff implications and could impact seeding. We will see if former league MVP Jackson can have repeated success against this Rams' defense that finished no.1 in 2020.

I'm not saying that these will be the greatest games of the season. However, based upon what we know today, these games listed should be exciting and have intriguing storylines going into them. We are officially heading into the 2021 NFL season. The season officially kicks off on Thursday, September 9. The Dallas Cowboys visit Tampa Bay to face the reigning Super Bowl Champions Buccaneers.