Is Deron winning his rivalry against Chris Paul?

[HawaiianJazzFan]

I'm a big Jason Kidd fan. I think he's a Hall of Famer and a top-10 point guard of all time (not top five as some have said). So don't take it the wrong way when I say this:


Both Chris Paul and Deron Williams will be better than Kidd.



To some, this may sound crazy. To others, it's obvious.



But I'm writing this so we all understand that we are watching two historic point guards come of age.



The reason they'll be better than Kidd is simple: They can both do something he can't.



Shoot and score.



Granted, lots of point guards score more than Kidd, but most of those who do, lack court vision or the other intangibles that make for a great point guard. Most of them aren't true points; they're scorers who can handle and pass well enough to run an offense.



A true point guard has this uncanny sixth sense that enables him to see things and make passes that few other human beings can. Playing with a true point guard is a unique experience that makes playing with a regular PG pale in comparison.



I'm talking about guys like Magic, Isiah, Kidd, Stockton, Nash and Mark Jackson (not that he's on the same level as those guys).


Paul and Williams are true point guards. They may not have the same degree of vision Kidd has, but they've got great vision nonetheless.


Right now, in just their third seasons, both Paul (20.9 ppg) and Williams (19.1 ppg) are averaging more points than Kidd ever did. And they're both averaging 10 assists, something Kidd's doing for just the third time in his illustrious career.



And it's not like they shoot a lot more than Kidd.



Kidd has attempted 12.8 shots per game for his career. Williams has only attempted 12.4. Williams' career FGA are lower because he didn't play as much his rookie year, but last season and this season, he's averaged only 13 shots.



Paul's career average is 13.8, and he's averaging 16.4 shots this year.



But because the two youngsters shoot much higher percentages than Kidd ever dreamed of, they get more accomplished in basically the same amount of shots.



Williams is shooting a tremendous 51 percent this year, and Paul's hitting 48 percent of his shots, while Kidd has failed to make even 40 percent of his shots six times in his 14 seasons. And Kidd has never reached 45 percent.



On the other end, we all know Kidd has been a great defender. But Paul and Williams are good defenders as well. Their play on this side of the ball will move them ahead of Steve Nash too, despite his two MVP awards, when all is said and done.



Kidd is the far superior rebounder, but that's not as important for a point guard. Plus, Paul (career 4.6 rpg) is a great rebounder for his size. Williams isn't much of a boards-man.



This is not to dis Kidd, who, as I said from the get-go, is an all-time great.



But let's all enjoy watching two guys who will be even better.

[G35]

Not taking it personally, just seeing it for what it is. You want special stats?

Offensive Win Shares
2007-08 NBA 24.9 (1)

Win Shares
2007-08 NBA 35 (1)

Win Shares Above Average
2007-08 NBA 16.0 (1)

Offensive Rating
2007-08 NBA 123.2 (5)

Steal Pct
2007-08 NBA 3.9 (1)

Steals
2007-08 NBA 157 (1)

Steals Per Game
2007-08 NBA 2.7 (1)

Assist Pct
2007-08 NBA 50.2 (1)

Assists
2007-08 NBA 634 (2)

Assists Per Game
2007-08 NBA 10.9 (2)

Player Efficiency Rating
2007-08 NBA 28.0 (2)

Free Throw Pct
2007-08 NBA .876 (9)

How are those? Informational enough for you?

Good info! But Elias posted this 4 days ago. Current event ya know. What have you done for me lately kind of stuff.......

[Ascheier]

Williams outplays Nash with 25 points, 15 assists, 6 boards, 11/18 shooting

[NO-KG-AI]

LOL, you don't even wanna go there, especially with how Chris shuts Nash down.

[RobertGlory]

i wonder if we can credit this rivalry for both players pushing each other to new heights this season.

[edfmx86]

i like how williams got 1 assist less than paul and 3 more rebounds than him yet ESPN has paul as todays top leader, then amare THEN Deron, its **** bull if you ask me

very awesome how they put up just about the same numbers tho, i just dont like the medias hype on it

[pace31]

Deron had 5 TO's to Paul's 1.