Paul is not considered one of the top ten point guards in history? Perkins shares a specific list: current players Curry and Westbrook rank higher.

On July 30, Beijing time, ESPN analyst Perkins asserted that Chris Paul does not belong to the top ten point guards in history, which has generated significant debate. Perkins provided his personal top ten list, claiming that Paul should be ranked in the top 15, with current players Curry and Westbrook ahead of him.

“I didn't place CP3 above Russell Westbrook,” Perkins remarked. “CP3 has certainly accomplished a lot, changing teams and winning many games, right? Absolutely, that is undeniable, and I will never dispute that. Since being drafted by the Hornets (now Pelicans), he transformed that team. He made the Clippers a winning team; he also turned the Phoenix Suns into a winning team. But when it comes to rankings, you have to meet those standards and have the corresponding honors. The honors I’m talking about, yes, include championships and MVPs. But CP3 doesn’t even have one MVP.”

Westbrook was the 2017 NBA regular season MVP. Both Paul and Westbrook have reached the NBA Finals once. In 2021, Paul's Suns were just two wins away from the championship but were defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks in four straight games; meanwhile, Westbrook's Thunder won one game in the 2012 Finals before losing four straight to the Heat, who had the “Big Three.”

Perhaps Westbrook's most significant advantage over Paul is that he won the league's highest individual honor—the regular season MVP—in 2017. Additionally, he is the player with the most triple-doubles in NBA history, achieving a total of 203 triple-doubles in his career so far. Some media outlets suggest that Perkins may have a bias due to having been Westbrook's teammate from 2011 to 2015.

“I have great respect for Paul; he will definitely be inducted into the Hall of Fame. But in my opinion, he is only a top 15 point guard in history, not in the top ten,” Perkins added.

Perkins subsequently listed his top ten point guards: Magic Johnson, Curry, Oscar Robertson, Stockton, Isiah Thomas, Gary Payton, Westbrook, Nash, Kidd, and Cousy.

Some media outlets also believe that Paul's resume appears to be more impressive than Westbrook's. CP3 has achieved numerous accolades: 11 All-NBA selections, 9 All-Defensive Team selections, 12 All-Star appearances, and won the All-Star MVP in 2013. These honors surpass Westbrook's achievements.

Paul has also been the league's assists leader five times and the steals leader six times, while Westbrook has been the scoring leader twice and the assists leader three times. Paul has superior shooting percentages across various metrics, and he averages fewer turnovers than Westbrook.

In a previous historical point guard ranking released by the well-known media outlet HoopsHype, Paul was ranked 6th, while Westbrook was ranked 12th. Do you think Paul is among the top ten point guards in history? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.