Ranking every Hall-of-Fame teammate from James Harden's career

Ranking every Hall-of-Fame teammate from James Harden’s career

James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half of Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Barclays Center on April 22, 2023 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

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Jan 29, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard Chris Paul (3) and guard James Harden (13) stand for the National Anthem before playing against the New Orleans Pelicans at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /

Ranking James Harden Hall-of-Fame teammates: 5. Chris Paul

Chris Paul is simply one of the greatest point guards of all time. He is a 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, nine-time All-Defensive selection, six-time steal champion, five-time assist champion, the 2006 Rookie of the Year and a member of the 75th Anniversary team.

Despite all he has accomplished throughout his career, some of his worst seasons were with the Rockets. In the two seasons he played in Houston, Paul averaged 17.1 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 1.8 steals on 44/37/89 splits and in both seasons played 58 out of 82 games.

Despite Chris Paul not making an All-NBA or All-Star team while playing with James Harden, he is above Dwight Howard because he had better team success with James Harden. Paul’s first year with the Rockets was extremely good. He averaged 18.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.7 steals on 46/38/92 splits.

Being the extra ball handler alongside James Harden allowed him to be more of a scorer and the Rockets saw a huge jump in their total wins. They went from 55 wins in 2017 to a league-best 65 wins in 2018 when James Harden won the MVP. This would be enough to get the Rockets to Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals and if it weren’t for Chris Paul getting hurt, they may have beaten the Kevin Durant Golden State Warriors.

Chris Paul gave James Harden his best chance to win a championship with the Rockets but, Harden has played with more talented players than the version of Chris Paul he played with.