Ranking Chris Paul's 5 best teammates during his 16-year NBA career
Chris Paul has taken the Phoenix Suns to the 2021 NBA Finals, making this campaign arguably his most successful one ever. In his 16th year in the league, Paul has never made it to the championship round before, but then it can be argued that he has never had teammates this good before as well.
The 11-time All-Star has become synonymous with winning, be with the Suns or with the other teams he has played for during his illustrious career. But he would not have reached the level of success he has enjoyed if not for the teammates to whom he has dished out his career average of 9.4 assists.
Teams Chris Paul has played for:
Chris Paul started his career with the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, where he played for six years. He then went on to ply his trade with the LA Clippers for another six years. After that, he had a two-year stint with the Houston Rockets before joining the OKC Thunder last season; he is now almost a year into his Suns career.
Given that he has already played for five different teams during his career, Chris Paul has had quite a few All-Star companions along the way. On that note, let's have a look at the five best teammates he has had in the NBA:
#5 David West (New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets)
David West was a two-time All-Star for the Hornets during Chris Paul’s first few years in the league. A two-time All-Star, the 6' 9" forward’s best years were not coincidentally spent with Paul alongside him.
In their six years together, West averaged 19.2 points and eight rebounds per game.
During a two-year window, the Xavier product averaged 20.8 points and 8.7 rebounds a night. His two-man game with Chris Paul was among the best in the league at the time. Their partnership bore fruit with three playoff runs that gave the duo a taste of what the postseason felt like during their early years.
Despite Chris Paul’s individual accolades so far, there’s one thing that West has that his all-time great former teammate doesn't - a championship. West has two of them.
#4 DeAndre Jordan (LA Clippers)
If Deandre Ayton continues his upward ascent in the coming years and if Chris Paul remains with the Suns for that long, Phoenix’s big man could end up being the best center the 6' point guard has ever played with.
For now, that distinction belongs to DeAndre Jordan, who has been a one-time All-Star, a three-time All-NBA Team member, a two-time All-Defensive Team member, and a two-time rebounding champion.
Jordan also led the league in field-goal shooting percentage for five straight years with the LA Clippers. It’s no coincidence that Jordan accomplished a lot and received these accolades during the years he was a teammate of Chris Paul.