Chris Paul no longer considered the NBA's top point guard by general managers - Los Angeles Times
Advertisement

Chris Paul no longer considered the NBA’s top point guard by general managers

Clippers guard Chris Paul is defended by Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Hornets during a preseason game in China on Oct. 14.

Clippers guard Chris Paul is defended by Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Hornets during a preseason game in China on Oct. 14.

(Johannes Eisele / Getty Images)
Share via

Chris Paul’s three-year reign as the NBA’s top point guard is over, according to league general managers.

In the annual anonymous survey of league executives released Tuesday, the veteran Clipper finished as the league’s second-best point guard with 24.1% of the vote. Golden State’s Stephen Curry, the defending NBA most valuable player, finished No. 1 with 55.2% of the vote.

Paul, an eight-time All-Star who turned 30 in May, did win three categories — best passer (71.4%), highest basketball IQ (46.4%) and most likely to make the best head coach (25.0%).

Advertisement

The general managers picked the Clippers to finish fourth in the Western Conference, behind defending champion Golden State, San Antonio and Oklahoma City.

The Clippers’ Blake Griffin tied Cleveland’s LeBron James for the second-best power forward in the NBA, with both players receiving 7.1% of the vote compared with New Orleans counterpart Anthony Davis’ 82.1%.

Center DeAndre Jordan’s decision to back out of a commitment to the Dallas Mavericks and re-sign with the Clippers was voted the most surprising move of the off-season, receiving 24.1% of the vote.

Advertisement

The Clippers tied the Houston Rockets for second place as the team having made the best moves in the off-season, each receiving 6.9% of the vote. San Antonio, which added power forwards LaMarcus Aldridge and David West, received a staggering 79.3% of the vote.

Clippers forward Paul Pierce tied Houston’s Ty Lawson and West as the most underrated player acquisitions, with each player receiving 10.3% of the vote.

Jordan and Golden State’s Draymond Green were tied for fifth place when it came to the league’ best defensive player, trailing San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard, Davis, James and Memphis’ Tony Allen.

Advertisement

Clippers Coach Doc Rivers was listed as the second-best manager and motivator of people, receiving 31.0% of the vote. San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich won the category with 48.3% of the vote.

Follow Ben Bolch on Twitter @latbbolch

Advertisement