4. Chris Paul, Houston Rockets
CP3 now enters an offense that, in many ways, is tailored to his skill set. We’ll see how he and James Harden coexist early on, but Mike D’Antoni‘s emphasis on shooting should leave plenty of room for Paul to carve up defenses from the inside.
Even as an undersized, aging point guard, there’s almost no argument against putting CP3 in the top four. He put up 18.1 points and 9.2 assists per game, all while continuing his run as one of the league’s better defensive point guards. He makes up for that size difference with quick hands and stellar instincts, as well as one of the more locked-in approaches in the NBA.
With four shooters (and James freaking Harden) alongside him, Paul could see his numbers jump up even further next season — especially in the assist category. He’s entering his 13th season at age 32, but he hasn’t shown any signs of dropping off yet.