Chris Paul finished the 2007-2008 NBA season averaging 21.1 points, 11.6 assists, 4 rebounds, 2.7 steals, and 1.2 made three-pointers per game. He shot 48.8% from the field and 85% from the free-throw line.
Now, let's put those numbers in perspective:
* In the 61-year history of the league, there have only been seven players to finish a season with averages of at least 20 points and 10 assists. The other members of this prestigious 20/10 club are Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Kevin Johnson, Tim Hardaway, Nate "Tiny" Archibald, and, surprisingly, Michael Adams (26.5 and 10.5 in '90-'91).
* No player has accomplished this impressive 20/10 feat in over 15 years. Timmy Hardaway was the last to do so back in 1992-1993.
* CP3 also led the league in steals. As if the points, assists, rebounds, solid FG% and FT% weren't enough, Paul helped control the game on the defensive end as well.
Since the NBA began tracking steals as an official statistic back in 1972, no player in history has ever averaged 20 and 10 while also leading the league in thefts. The last player to lead the NBA in steals and assists was John Stockton back '91-'92.
* The only true point guard to win the MVP since Magic Johnson in his prime was Steve Nash, who took home the honors in both the '04-'05 and '05-'06 seasons. Compared with Nash's best seasons, including his back-to-back MVP campaigns, Paul averaged more points, equal to or greater assists, more rebounds, far more steals, and fewer turnovers. Basically, CP3's stats are like Steve Nash's numbers on steroids. In addition, Paul doesn't have nearly as talented a supporting cast as Nash, nor does he play in the same fantasy-friendly offense.
* Speaking of Nash, CP3 played some of his best basketball against some of the best point guards in the league. Here is a stat to help illustrate this point: In four head-to-head meetings with the Suns this season, Paul (44) had one more assist than Nash (43) while outscoring him by an average of more than 10 points per game (29.0 to 18.8).
* Paul recorded 30 games this season with 20 or more points and 10 or more assists. That's the most 20/10 games in a season since Tim Hardaway did it 34 times for the 1991-92 Warriors.
* In a win over the Warriors back on April 5th, Chris Paul racked up 16 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists and five steals. Per the Elias Sports Bureau: "It was the third game of Paul's brief NBA career in which he reached those levels in all four categories. The only other active player to have such a game is Jason Kidd, and he's done it only once (Nets vs. Magic, Feb. 23, 2003). Paul's three games meeting those minimums (16 PTS, 10 REB, 13 AST, 5 STL) match the most for any NBA player since the league began keeping track of steals in 1973-74. Magic Johnson and Micheal Ray Richardson are the only other players with three such games."
* Paul became the first player in over 25 years to lead the league in assists while still averaging fewer than 3 turnovers per game. (The last player to accomplish that feat was Johnny Moore back in 1981-1982.)
* Following up on the previous entry, Johnny Moore averaged 9.65 assists. No player, other than Paul, has averaged double-digit assists and just 2.5 turnovers or less.
* CP3 played in six games this season in which he dished out at least 15 assists with no more than one turnover. That equals the total of such individual performances by the rest of the league combined. Paul's six games of that type are the most in a season for any NBA player since the league began officially recording turnovers in 1977.
