There will always be arguments about who are the best players to ever play in the NBA and that goes into positions as well. When talking about point guards, the likes of Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson, Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry and Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas are always mentioned. Another current player regularly brought up is Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul, and that is something that bothers DeMarcus Cousins.
Paul’s talent can not be questioned as he has been successful everywhere he has been, often making lesser talented teams into playoff contenders. But his individual accolades as well as injury history and some subpar playoff performances have led to some questioning where he ranks amongst the all-time greats.
Cousins recently appeared on the Outta Pocket podcast and when discussing all-time great point guards, the big man put current Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook ahead of Paul, via Buckets:
is chris paul a top 5 all-time point guard?
according to @boogiecousins, nah. here's why: pic.twitter.com/5ReOv19sda
— buckets (@buckets) December 14, 2022
The argument of Chris Paul vs. Russell Westbrook is an interesting one, to say the least. The overall accolades favor Paul as he has more All-Star appearances and All-NBA selections while also leading the league in assists more times than the current Lakers star. But Westbrook has that major award that Paul has never received in his MVP award that he won in 2017.
When it comes to measuring individual accomplishments, the MVP is the biggest you can receive so in the minds of some, with Cousins obviously being in that camp, it can outweigh the other factors. As is the case with all arguments like this, it is simply a matter of personal preference.
There are those who look at Westbrook’s MVP and triple-double records and side with the current Lakers sixth man while others view Paul as being more of a traditional point guard and how he has lifted teams to new levels and give him the nod.
Lakers increasingly unlikely to trade Russell Westbrook this season
When it comes to the current season, it is Westbrook thriving for the Lakers ever since moving to a bench role, while Paul has struggled with injuries in Phoenix. In fact, Westbrook is playing so well that the Lakers now seem to be unlikely to deal him away.
The latest rumors suggest that is ‘increasingly unlikely’ that the Lakers move Westbrook ahead of the trade deadline and the front office is targeting smaller deals around the likes of Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn to bring in some depth.
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