Saint Paul: The Point Guard Textbook Without a Ring

In the long history of the NBA, few players resemble Chris Paul: a man who polished the craft of point guard to near-perfection, yet reached his nineteenth season still without a championship. Chinese fans affectionately call him "Saint Paul" ("Saint Paul")—not because he won, but because his understanding of the game and command of tempo are almost textbook-standard.

Drafted 4th overall by the New Orleans Hornets in 2005, Paul immediately looked like an All-Star caliber rookie, averaging 16.1 points, 7.8 assists and 2.2 steals, winning Rookie of the Year. For a 6-foot guard, that was the spine of a franchise for the next decade.

There is no flash in Paul's game, only detail: the split-second decision after a screen, the crossover at midcourt, the mid-range pull-up in crunch time, and the much-studied floater. He delivers the ball to a rolling big before the help arrives, and he steals the ball before a trap fully forms. That ability to "simplify complexity" is lesson one of the point guard textbook.

But Paul's story has always carried regret. In 2008 he led the Hornets to 56 wins and finished second in MVP voting (behind Kobe), only to fall to the Spurs in the West semis. The Clippers' "Lob City," the Rockets' "Bledsoe-Harden" tandem, the lone-wolf Thunder, the Suns' Finals run—each time it felt like "this is the year," and each time it collapsed at the decisive gate.

That is the dual nature of Saint Paul: the template every young guard studies, the calmest brain on the floor, yet also one of the most tragic "ringless masters" in NBA history. The following articles break down this textbook from every angle—his skill, his character, and his fate.

Related Reading

• The 2021 Finals: The Closest Dance with a Title
• The Ringless Maestro: A Champion’s Regret for an All-Time Guard
• The Textbook Handle: Paul’s Pick-and-Roll and Finishing
• Lob City: Paul’s Peak Partnership with the Clippers
• The 2005 Draft: The Fourth Pick That Answered New Orleans