“He should be in the conversation certainly with Isiah Thomas” - Max Kellerman questions if 12-time All-Star’s legacy will be impacted by playoff failure this year
Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul has always drawn comparisons with former Detroit Pistons star Isiah Thomas. The duo have been constantly the subject of intense debate over who is the better point guard.
Analyst Max Kellerman said Paul deserves to be considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, but the lack of a championship hurts his argument. On ESPN's "Keyshawn, JWill & Max," Kellerman said:
"When discussing the very greatest players of all time, the fact that he didn't win a championship, like, he should be in the conversation certainly with Isiah Thomas, right, but Isiah won back-to-back. His legcacy, as part of the whole story, is about playoff collapses, is the fact that he wasn't able to get a team over the top."
Paul and Phoenix are on the brink of progressing into the second round despite Devin Booker missing the last three games due to a hamstring injury. They are hoping to replicate getting to the NBA Finals as they did last season and go one step further by winning the championship.
Is the Isiah Thomas and Chris Paul comparison fair?
Chris Paul and Isiah Thomas are often considered two sides of the same coin. They are very identical in the way they play the game as floor generals who orchestrate the offense.
However, they also had the ability to take over games whenever needed and put the ball in the net despite being undersized point guards. Being so capable despite having opponents tower over them speaks volumes of their greatness.
Chris Paul is the oldest player in postseason history with 30 Pts & 10 Ast in a game.
That distinction was previously held by Steve Nash, also for the Suns, in Game 1 of the 2010 West Conf Semis. https://t.co/Ru6V4GtbxN
With that said, the comparisons end when it comes to achievements on the court. Thomas won two championships with the Detroit Piston in the late 1980s, beating Larry Bird's Boston Celtics and Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls along the way.
Thomas was also the 1990 Finals MVP and was unarguably the best player on the team. Paul has played with James Harden of the Houston Rockets and Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns as he is usually not the undisputed best player on the roster.
Paul finished second to Kobe Bryant for the 2008 MVP award as he and David West led the New Orleans Hornets to the Western Conference semifinals.
Tonight, Blake Griffin became the first @DetroitPistons player since Isiah Thomas (46 PTS, 10 REB on Feb. 8, 1983) to put up 40+ PTS and 10+ REB in a game. https://t.co/32TokPVJGC
Winning a championship is key in cementing Paul's legacy as one of the top five greatest point guards of all time. Without a ring, it is hard to mention him in the same category as Magic Johnson, Thomas, Steph Curry and Oscar Robertson.