Makes sense when you consider that he had to average 41.0 ppg in the Finals in order to get his team past Phoenix. Didn't Wade have to average 34.7 to get by Dallas in '06?

A high %teamFG could indicate the "value" and to some extent the ability of a particular player, but it seems to me that TOO high a %teamFG usually means that one person is carrying too much of the load. Such a team may still perform very well, but they probably won't be able to be the best teams, i.e. the teams that spread the burden around better. MJ was an anomaly in that he was efficient enough to carry more of the load and still manage to carry his team to *ultimate* success on a consistent basis. (for the people who get annoyed by how highly he's regarded, that's why - and he's a shooting guard...you EXPECT a big man to be dominant enough to lead a team, but a championship team led by a shooting guard is rare, and MJ did it six times) We saw what happened when Lebron tried to do it for the Cavs in '07...they got swept by San Antonio.

The %teamFG for Chris Paul is exactly why I doubt the Hornets will be able to beat the Lakers or the Celtics in a seven game series. He makes those guys better than they are, but individually, David West and the other guys aren't on the level of Kareem, Byron Scott, James Worthy... I make that comparison because Magic Johnson led the Lakers in the mid to late eighties, but he had players who were excellent in their own right, and therefore could shoulder more of the responsibility when necessary. Without Paul, the Hornets are not good enough. If the Hornets want to get the finals and maybe win, Paul will have to play for virtually the entire game. It could be done, but the margin for error will be less than it'll be for the Lakers and Celtics.

That's why Boston won last season and why they're probably still the best team. They can spread it around quite well. Paul Pierce is not Lebron/CP3/Wade night in and night out, but he doesn't have to be. That's the strength of the team and that's why Miami can't win squat without Wade having a huge game. Obviously Chris Paul has a better team than Miami, but it shouldn't have to be said that it's a matter of degrees when you're comparing bad teams, average teams, very good teams, and title contending teams.

How many times in post Jordan era did the champ have the top or even a top 5 guy?

Did this dominant involvement make Stockton and Payton teams a little to predictable and a bit easier to guard than otherwise despite all the benefits they brought?

No Celtics on this seasson's list. Or Spur on it or the all-time list. Is a more distributed attack the modern way to go? Why does Phil Jackson have Kobe at 12th place?

Given this post, it's not surprising that the New Orleans offense kind of goes off the rails when Paul isn't on the court. He is years away from his prime, and he is still one of the best decision makers I have ever seen.