PLAYER BREAKDOWN: CHRIS PAUL a.k.a. "POINT GOD"

Have you ever seen a guy who can score way too effortlessly cutting through defenders as if they're nothing? Like he's not getting guarded? Let's take an in-depth look into Chris Paul's game and playing style. Chris Paul is the true definition of a Floor General. He's one of those players who's hard to figure out. Why? he's so effective but he's only six feet tall and about 180 pounds and he doesn't have your typical NBA body. He does, however, have a collection of skills that enable him to be extremely successful.

First of all, Chris Paul is a master of understanding momentum. Not just his own momentum but the momentum of his defender. With a quick first step downhill, he's able to get his defender on his heels. He's able to perfectly time contact and makes optimal angles for himself to make a play. Chris Paul's ability to accelerate and decelerate is truly something to behold. He can accelerate out of nowhere and stop on a dime. He also has unbelievable vision and that's what we want all of our ball handlers to have where most players can simply either cross people over or go downhill. His moves transcend to multiple planes of play.

A lot of this is based on perfect balance. Chris Paul has a strong base, big legs, and while he's not incredibly taller, he has exceptional balance, timing, and rhythm. These aspects of athleticism are commonly ignored and they're just as important as speed, power, agility, reaction, and quickness.

His ability to maintain balance has a secondary benefit that is less apparent. It enables him to comprehend their position on the floor. Not just of himself but all ten active players. One of the most common questions I get asked is how to improve vision on the court. And interestingly, one of the most critical aspects of court awareness is having adequate balance. This is because balance addresses common causes for poor vision. For example, balance affords you time to see the floor and create the angles you need. A lot of young players especially super athletic ones are all about training explosiveness and speed but if you're moving downhill the entire time it's very difficult to see the floor so you definitely should train balance equally or else you're not even gonna be able to utilize your athleticism.

Chris Paul is a very tricky player. He's hard to understand and he's going to be on your mind the whole game. He always understands the flow of the game, what the team needed, and what he needs to do to make the team play better basketball. Chris Paul can instantly recognize a mismatch. And he can take advantage of it every time.

I can also say that Chris Paul is also a true definition of MVP or Most Valuable Player. Why? Because every team he joins, the team gets better. Or I should say, "a lot better". Let's break down the Teams winning percentage before and after CP3 joins them.

Another upside in Chris Paul's game is his leadership. Chris Paul is a truly reliable player especially when the game is on the line. He takes responsibility and does not blame his teammates. He makes his teammates even better. And he also loves the big stage and the big moments. He is not afraid. He will take last-second shots if he knows it's the right decision to make. He will pass it if it's the best option for the team to win. He arguably has the highest basketball IQ in today's game. That's why he is called the "Point God".