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Paul: Nothing Like All-Star Game With Teammate

Rowan Kavner

NEW ORLEANS – Chris Paul and Blake Griffin have accomplished something few teammates get to, and they’ve now done it five straight times.

Paul enjoys the All-Star experience, and this year will mark his eighth straight selection to the team, but it adds to the experience that he gets to go through All-Star weekend alongside teammate Blake Griffin for the fifth straight year. 

“It’s great,” Paul said. “There’s nothing like it. Me and Blake talk about it all the time. Obviously it’s all competition, but sometimes there’s guys in the All-Star Game you don’t really have a relationship with and you don’t really care to. It’s always cool to have a teammate of your own there that you can talk to and enjoy the weekend with.”

Despite leading the league in assist-to-turnover ratio, being top five in assists, steals, plus-minus and win shares and being top 10 in the league in offensive rating and player efficiency rating, Paul said it doesn’t bother him hearing some people question whether or not he should’ve made it.

“It’s not the first time,” Paul said. “It’s not the first time people have done that. But I’m pretty self-motivated.”

If one thing’s for sure, it’s that Paul’s teammates and head coach believe he deserved the reserve spot given to him in the All-Star Game. Head coach Doc Rivers said prior to Paul getting in that the star point guard’s so consistent every year in what he provides that it’s possible it can get overlooked.

“He’s an All-Star,” Rivers said. “He’s on it, but I still don’t think Chris gets enough credit for being a two-way player. I don’t think a lot of guys in this league are. That takes so much out of you, and I just don’t think Chris gets enough credit. He’s the best defensive point guard in the league. You can say (Ruseell) Westbrook’s up there too, but those two in particular.

“Other than that, there are just guys who get no credit for doing all of the other stuff. That was my whole thing with (DeAndre Jordan). If DJ did the same things on the offensive end, he’d be an MVP candidate. But because it’s on the defensive end, no one notices it except for the people that play against him.”

Paul said he’ll have to wait and see if having the All-Star Game on the big stage in New York will make it more special, but with the Clippers in New Orleans for Friday night’s game in the midst of an eight-game road trip, the present takes precedence right now.

“It’s a great honor and a privilege, but we’ve got some real (regular season) games to win,” Paul said.