HoopsHype Snubs Rockets Legend on All-Century List

Is there a reasonable argument for him not making the cut?

Apr 2, 2019; Sacramento, CA, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) talks with guard Chris Paul (3) during a timeout in the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports / Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA offseason typically sparks conversations regarding the top players in league history, prompting debates about which players belong and which ones don't. On Thursday, HoopsHype released their top ten players of the century and had former Houston Rockets point guard Chris Paul at number eight on the list.

The entire list is below:

1. LeBron James
2. Tim Duncan
3. Kobe Bryant
4. Kevin Durant
5. Stephen Curry
6. Shaquille O'Neal
7. Kevin Garnett
8. Chris Paul
9. Dirk Nowitzki
10. Dwyane Wade

Paul, who joined the team in 2017, gave the Rockets representation, as his Rockets teammate, James Harden, by comparison, didn't make the list. 

Paul spent two seasons in Houston alongside Harden and gave the Rockets their best chance of bringing home the title in 2017-18- his first season. Paul's fateful hamstring injury in the 2018 Western Conference Finals ended the Rockets' chances of advancing past the Golden State Warriors, who had already won two titles before squaring off against Houston.

All told, Paul averaged 17.1 points, eight assists, five rebounds, 44.1 percent from the field, and 36.9 percent from deep during his two seasons with the Rockets. 

Paul's aforementioned teammate, James Harden, remains one of the game's best scorers of all time, much less in the 21st century. Harden and Paul faced off against each other in the second round of the 2015 NBA playoffs and Harden's Rockets came out on top, defeating the LA Clippers within seven games.

There's not much of an argument for Harden not to be on the list, as he led the league in scoring three years in a row and was a five-time MVP finalist.

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