Chauncey Billups Exposes Chris Paul's Overrated Defense (Incomplete) - 2009 Playoffs 1st Rd

Billups completely annihilated Chris Paul in the 2009 Playoffs, after Paul had his best statistical year - joining Magic and Kevin Johnson as the only players to average 20-10 on 50% in a season (Magic and KJ did it twice each). Significantly better scoring, AST:TO ratio, and astronomical efficiency while playing less MPG. To put Billups 66% 3PT in perspective, the highest FG% that Shaq shot in a playoff series was 66% in the 1995 ECF. People often criticize players such as Steph Curry for hiding on defense, which is justifiable. However, Chris Paul never receives criticism for his shameless hiding on defense during the 2009 Playoffs, avoiding Billups like the plague for long stretches. In avoiding Billups so often, CP3 was just as culpable for Billups' offensive success as the times that Billups lit him up head to head, since the supposed "best defensive PG in the game" (a complete farce in reality) didn't put it on himself to stop the other team's PG often enough. When CP3 did have the guts to actually defend Billups, Chauncey lit him up several times. Not only through scoring, but also when Billups blew past CP3 with dribble penetration to set up easy scores for other teammates. When CP3 was hiding on weaker offensive matchups, Billups still found ways to create shots for those players so that they could also expose CP3's weak defense. Billups' destruction of the overrated Chris Paul in the 2009 Playoffs, after his best statistical year no less, is one of many examples proving that Chris Paul is nowhere near the "elite" defender he is made out to me. Indeed, he is not even average, but one of the biggest defensive liabilities of any offensive superstar in NBA history. Billups from 2003 to 2009 was supremely successful at making his team better to a high degree, something Paul has never done. The Pistons had not made an ECF since 1991 before acquiring Billups, and then made 6 straight ECF under Billups, including 2 NBA Finals and a championship. Billups made the 2007 and 2008 ECF without the help of 4x DPOY Ben Wallace, and Billups also didn't have Larry Brown after the 2005 Finals, yet still made 3 more ECF without the Hall of Fame coach. Granted, the East was weak after 2006, but likewise the 2009 Pistons were so weak without Billups that they went from 6 straight ECF to 39-wins and a first-round 8-seed sweep in the weak East, even with Rasheed, Prince, and Hamilton on the team, after going to 6 straight ECF with Billups. Billups then came to the tougher Western Conference, and picked up where he left off, taking the 2009 Nuggets from a first round 8-seed sweep in 2008 to the 2009 WCF, while completely exposing and outplaying Paul in the process. In his first year in the tough Western Conference, Billups did what Paul hasn't been able to do in his entire career, and led a mediocre first round team to the 2009 WCF. And this wasn't even prime Billups. Billups proved that he could take any 8-seed team in the East or West that would normally get swept in the first round - even a losing 39-43 Pistons team, and make them a Conference Finals contender, regardless of his statistical production. That's far more impressive than a guy who puts up first-round inflated playoff stats and never played a playoff team that was good enough to make the Finals. Chris Paul is the guy you want on a fantasy team, but Billups is the guy you want on a championship team Billups also elevated Carmelo's game to a whole other level while playing with him in Denver. As of 2015, Carmelo has shot 50% in only 15 out of 66 playoff games in his career, but 10 of those 15 games came while playing with Billups in 2009 and 2010. Carmelo shot at least 50% in 10 out of 22 playoff games with Billups, but only shot 50% in 5 out of 44 of his remaining playoff games. Rip Hamilton also averaged 20+ ppg in 5 of 6 playoff runs with Billups from 2003 to 2008, but only 13.3 ppg and 13.0 ppg in his other 2 playoff runs as a starter without Billups. Paul has never shown that he can elevate his team or teammates like Billups did. If you want empty stats, take Chris Paul, but your team damn sure isn't going anywhere. If you want your team to win games and make several Conference Finals, at the very least, and a guy who can still outplay superstars like Kobe (2004) and Paul (2009) when he has to, Billups is the clear and obvious choice. Billups is also the only player to shoot 50/40/90 under the non-shortened 3PT line in an NBA Finals, with 51/47/93 in the 2004 Finals (min. 1.5 3PA/game, 3.0 FTA/game). Penny Hardaway did this with the shorter line in 1995. Read more at http://chrispauloverrated.blogspot.com SECTION 1 - The Myth That Chris Paul Doesn't Have Good Help SECTION 2 - The Myth That Chris Paul is an Elite Defender SECTION 3 - Why Chris Paul's Playoff Statistics Are Not as Impressive SECTION 4 - Chris Paul is Not a Top 10 Point Guard of All-Time