Realistic approach
Clippers point guard Chris Paul is climbing the assists lists but says he can’t catch John Stockton,
Can Chris Paul become the NBA’s all-time leader in assists? Maybe, but it won’t be easy.
Factoring in Paul’s career-long availability (he has played in 87% of regular-season games) in addition to his average rate of piling up assists (9.9 per game), he is on pace to pass Jason Kidd for second on the list early in the 202223 season (he would be 37).
As for chasing down the leader, Utah Jazz legend John Stockton? Were Paul somehow able to maintain that elite pace, he would be 42 when he finally passed him while also becoming the oldest point guard to play in an NBA game. (Celtics great Bob Cousy played at 41.)
As Paul so aptly put it when he moved into the top 10: no chance.
“When I first came into the league, my goal was to pass John Stockton in steals and assists,” the Los Angeles Clippers point guard said. “No chance. Nah, I missed 15 games my second season in the league with an ankle injury, (and) that went out the window then.”
Therein lies the genius of Paul, 31.
When he moved into the top 10 against the Sacramento Kings on Friday, instead of celebrating his historic evening, to thank all the little people for the big role they played in his Hall of Fame-level career, Paul lamented what might have been because, well, the pursuit of perfection never ends.
Never mind that he passed Rod Strickland for 10th (with 8,012 assists after Sunday’s 18 vs. the Miami Heat) or that he’ll likely be No. 9 by next season (Andre Miller is at 8,524) or that there’s a good chance he’ll wind up second all time in assists by the time his basketball days are done.
Paul, who saw his Clippers go 2-5 in games that he recently missed because of a hamstring injury while falling to fourth place in the Western Conference, was more focused on what might have been.
“Yeah, ( being in the top 10 is) cool,” said Paul, who is barely halfway to Stockton’s mark (15,806). “I mean it’s an honor. It’s a privilege. For me, it’s crazy, man. I’m so competitive, I think about all the games I’ve done missed — you know what I mean? — because of injury or whatnot. But that’s an honor and a privilege, and I think that says a lot about my teammates and my coaches that I had over the years. I’ve been blessed enough to come into this league and play from Day 1, so that’s why that stuff happens.”
As Paul is aware, no one can match Stockton when it comes to the NBA’s ironman status. After all, the man played in all 82 regular-season games 16 times. (Paul has done it once in 11 seasons.)
While he’s much further behind Stockton when it comes to steals — 3,265 to 1,866 — Paul is closing in on his pal, Kobe Bryant (1,944), for the No. 15 slot.
None of which qualifies as a major priority for the nine-time All-Star at the moment. With forward Blake Griffin having had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Dec. 20 (announced absence timeline of three to six weeks) and the Clippers 12-12 since their league-best start of 14-2, Paul needs to lead the squad down a better road. What’s more, this fork-in-theroad summer of Clippers free agency for Paul (player option for next season), Griffin (same) and shooting guard J.J. Redick (unrestricted free agent) is nearing.
From the history books to the season that’s before them all, Paul — as always — wants more.
“We’re going to win games,” said Paul, whose Clippers have won 66.2% of their games since he came to Los Angeles in 2011 (54-win pace in an 82-game season) but have yet to survive past the second round of the postseason.
“That’s something that’s always going to happen. We’re just talented, and we’ve got enough guys. We’re going to win games. But for us, it’s bigger than that.
“We can go out and like — not even trying to be (funny) — winning 50 games, that’s easy, you know what I mean? Not for everybody, but for us that’s easy.
“But for us, it’s big picture. We’re trying to build for something bigger than that.”
“That’s an honor and a privilege, and I think that says a lot about my teammates and my coaches that I had over the years.” Chris Paul, on cracking the top 10 on the career assists list