Chris Paul, the Spurs' point guard, argues that the NBA's current system for recording blocks and steals unfairly attributes more blocks to him. He believes he should have more steals, especially considering his career total of 2,684 already ties him with Jason Kidd for second on the NBA's all-time list.
AUSTIN – As far as the NBA is concerned, Spurs point guard Chris Paul has blocked 10 shots this season. It is a number Paul would dispute. He thinks it should be closer to zero. “I don’t block shots at all,” Paul said.
Thanks to recent changes in how the league officially records blocks and steals, Paul believes he should have fewer of the former and more of the latter. It is an important distinction in the chase of history. SPURS VS SUNS: How to watch the game, notable stats, player news Paul comes out of the All-Star break with 2,684 career steals, knotted with Jason Kidd for second on the NBA’s all-time charts. His next pickpocketing – which could come as soon as Thursday against Phoenix at the Moody Center in Austin – would break that tie. In Paul’s view, however, he has probably already broken it. The statistical discrepancy usually involves plays in which an offensive player is stripped of the ball in the paint. If it can be argued the player was plausibly on his way to a shot, the play goes down as a block – even if the ball is below the prospective shooter’s waist at the time of dislodging. As a result, Paul argues, plays that would have gone down as a steal in Kidd’s day – or in the era of all-time leader John Stockton – are called blocked shots today. “Now if you steal the ball in the lane or something, they call it a block,” Paul said. “Everything’s very technical.” Paul has even gone so far as to call the league about the issue. “Joe Dumars hears from me a lot,” Paul said, referring to the NBA’s head of basketball operations. Statistical strangeness aside, Paul is proud of the work he has done on the defensive end throughout his 20 NBA seasons. He is a nine-time member of the NBA’s All-Defensive team, including seven first-team selections. READ MORE: Harrison Barnes' donation to St. Philip's College hailed as 'game changer' “You see guys talk about defense here and there, saying they should have got Defensive Player of the Year and stuff,” Paul said. “I feel like I held my own right there too.” Moving past Kidd on the career steals list – the same as he did earlier this season on the assists chart – would be another feather in the cap for Paul. The steals have not come easily, he said. “Five hand surgeries later,” the 39-year-old Paul said. “I’ve definitely paid the price for all them steals.” Paul has an insurmountable way to go to catch Stockton as the all-time steals king. The Utah Hall of Famer retired in 2003 with 3,265 steals. The NBA’s statistical system be darned, Paul will end his career second behind Stockton and ahead of Kidd on the career steals and assists list. He says his steals prowess stems from what’s in his head, rather than his surgically repaired hands. “I credit that to knowing and studying the game,” Paul said. “Literally. That's where all my steals come from is just the anticipation and knowing what guys like to do.” That has taken Paul near the top of the NBA's all-time steals list, albeit slower than he might have liked. As far as Paul's climb up the blocks chart, where he now ranks a robust 764th all-time? Thanks to the NBA's statistical counting system, that appears to be picking up steam.
NBA STEEALS BLOCKS CHRIS PAUL JASON KIDD