Chris Paul
2005–06 to 2025–26 · 21 seasons · active
NBA player comparison
Chris Paul vs. Deron Williams: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Chris Paul ranks higher in career impact so far
Deron Williams
2005–06 to 2016–17 · 12 seasons
Impact comparison
#16LeadsCareer Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank#215
+10.8LeadsPeak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+3.7
+9.2LeadsBest 5 average impact+3.5
2.0LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place; closer to No. 1 is better19.0
+7,175 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+2,054 pts
10LeadsTop-10 impact seasons0
Career Impact Rank places Chris Paul #16 and Deron Williams #215. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three.
Regular season only. Impact figures are estimates; small gaps are not exact. Playoffs, awards and titles do not determine the verdict.
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedChris Paul2.400 · No. 16Deron Williams28.680 · No. 215
Only the three league-finish windows below determine Career Impact Rank. Career Value and peak impact are separate measures; neither adds points to this calculation. Lower composite scores rank higher.
Chris Paul
2.400 composite · No. 16 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 22007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 22010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 22011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 2.000 | 50% | 1.000 |
| Best 5No. 22007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 22010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 22011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 22012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 32008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 2.200 | 30% | 0.660 |
| Best 10No. 22007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 22010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 22011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 22012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 32008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 42009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 42013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52015–16Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 62014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 72016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 3.700 | 20% | 0.740 |
1.000 + 0.660 + 0.740= 2.400
Deron Williams
28.680 composite · No. 215 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 172008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 192010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 212009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 19.000 | 50% | 9.500 |
| Best 5No. 172008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 192010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 212009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 252012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 262011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 21.600 | 30% | 6.480 |
| Best 10No. 172008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 192010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 212009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 252012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 262011–12Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 352007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 642013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1092006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1442014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 1752005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 63.500 | 20% | 12.700 |
9.500 + 6.480 + 12.700= 28.680
Averages, contributions, and totals are displayed to three decimal places. The ranking calculation keeps full source precision. Read the full method →
Full comparison · Career comparison
Understand the numbers
Start with impact, then compare playing time and skills. Team results add context. These are not categories to tally into a winner.
1 · Ranking evidence
Impact: who ranks higher, and why?
Career Impact Rank compares entire regular-season careers across NBA history. It combines average league places across the best three, five, and ten seasons, weighted 50%, 30%, and 20%. A lower rank or average place is better.
| Metric | Chris Paul | Deron Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank | #16Better result for this metric. | #215 |
| Best 3 average finish | 2.0Better result for this metric. | 19.0 |
| Best 5 average finish | 2.2Better result for this metric. | 21.6 |
| Best 10 average finish | 3.7Better result for this metric. | 63.5 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Chris Paul | Deron Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #8Better result for this metric. | #169 |
| Peak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average | +10.8Better result for this metric. | +3.7 |
| Best 3 average impact | +9.9Better result for this metric. | +3.6 |
| Best 5 average impact | +9.2Better result for this metric. | +3.5 |
| Best 10 average impact | +8.1Better result for this metric. | +2.1 |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +7,175 ptsBetter result for this metric. | +2,054 pts |
| Seasons ranked No. 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Top-five impact seasons | 8Better result for this metric. | 0 |
| Top-ten impact seasons | 10Better result for this metric. | 0 |
2 · Playing time and responsibility
How much did each player take on?
Read games and minutes alongside impact. Offensive usage is the share of team plays a player ends with a shot, free throws, or a turnover while on court. More usage is not automatically better.
| Metric | Chris Paul | Deron Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,370 | 845 |
| Minutes | 45,836 | 28,865 |
3 · Individual skills
Where does each player have an advantage?
These are each player's averages across up to ten best seasons. Career Impact Rank gives the Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights, giving the most weight to the highest peak. The model accounts for position, role, pace, playing time, and team results. Green marks the better result for a metric, including lower turnover rates. Workload and shot-selection measures stay neutral. These rows are not votes toward the ranking.
Shooting
True shooting includes two-pointers, three-pointers, and free throws.
| Metric | Chris Paul | Deron Williams |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 58.0%Better result for this metric. | 55.2% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 58.8%Better result for this metric. | 55.4% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Chris Paul | Deron Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 46.9%Better result for this metric. | 44.5% |
| Three-point percentage | 37.0%Better result for this metric. | 35.7% |
| Free-throw percentage | 87.0%Better result for this metric. | 82.2% |
Passing
Assist rate is the share of teammates’ made shots assisted while the player is on court. Read turnovers alongside offensive workload; lower turnover rate is generally better.
| Metric | Chris Paul | Deron Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 48.4%Better result for this metric. | 40.3% |
| Assists per game | 9.2Better result for this metric. | 8.1 |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Chris Paul | Deron Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 13.0%Better result for this metric. | 16.1% |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Chris Paul | Deron Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 7.1%Better result for this metric. | 5.4% |
| Rebounds per game | 4.4Better result for this metric. | 3.1 |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Chris Paul | Deron Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 3.4%Better result for this metric. | 1.7% |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Chris Paul | Deron Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 0.3% | 0.6%Better result for this metric. |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Chris Paul | Deron Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 16.8Better result for this metric. | 16.3 |
4 · Team context, not ranking inputs
What happened with and without them?
A verified with/without comparison is unavailable for this scope. We do not substitute another season’s observations.
Four separate questions
Impact, winning, playoffs, and awards
These are different ways to understand a career. Only Regular Season Impact determines the hussEyquation verdict. The other three sections add basketball context without adding points or changing the rank.
Career to date. At least one player is active. Every total below stops after the latest completed season in this data; nothing is projected.
Regular Season Impact
Chris Paul ranks higher in career impact so far.
Chris PaulMetricDeron Williams
#16LeadsCareer Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank#215
+10.8LeadsPeak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+3.7
+9.2LeadsBest 5 average impact+3.5
+7,175 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+2,054 pts
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
Chris Paul leads every available measure below.
Chris PaulMetricDeron Williams
1,022LeadsListed-team regular-season wins589
60.6%LeadsListed-team winning percentage52.0%
10Leads50-win team seasons4
2Leads60-win team seasons0
15LeadsPlayoff team seasons9
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Final records for every listed team-season. A traded season can include more than one team.
Playoff Résumé
Chris Paul leads every available measure below.
Chris PaulMetricDeron Williams
15LeadsPlayoff appearances9
149LeadsPlayoff games90
81LeadsTeam playoff wins44
1Finals appearances1
0Championships0
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
Awards
Chris Paul leads every available measure below.
Chris PaulMetricDeron Williams
12LeadsAll-Star3
0MVP0
11LeadsAll-NBA2
9LeadsAll-Defense0
0DPOY0
1LeadsRookie of the Year0
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Major regular-season honors are recognition, not inputs to the impact ranking.
How each context field is counted
- Listed-team regular-season wins
- The sum of each listed team's final wins in every season the player represented that team.
- Listed-team winning percentage
- Those team wins divided by those teams' total regular-season games.
- 50- and 60-win team seasons
- Listed team-seasons that finished with at least 50 or 60 wins. Shortened seasons are not projected to 82 games.
- Team seasons reaching playoffs
- Listed team-seasons in which that team qualified for the playoffs.
- Playoff appearances and games
- Postseasons and games in which the player appeared.
- Team playoff wins
- Team wins from those postseasons. They describe team results, not individual credit.
- Finals appearances and championships
- Seasons when the player appeared in the playoffs for the finalist or champion.
- Awards
- Recorded NBA selections and major regular-season honors. A zero means the source records none; Not available means the source field is missing.
Source and scope Basketball Reference, NBA seasons 1950–51 through 2025–26, accessed 2026-10-09. Active-career totals are results to date through the latest completed season in the source.
Career Shape Explorer
How the careers developed
Follow every regular season by NBA experience or age. This view describes the path; it does not create another verdict.
Chris PaulDeron WilliamsPeak seasonHistorical source qualification
Career to date. Active careers stop at the latest completed season; no future seasons are projected.
Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average
Striped bars mark seasons with fewer than 40 games. A dashed mark means that player had no season at the aligned point.
Season-by-season evidenceRead both careers at the same stage
Every observed season keeps its age, era-centered impact estimate, league rank when qualified, career-stage label, and exact evidence link. A missing career point stays missing.
Chris PaulNBA seasonDeron Williams
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
Season 10
Season 11
Season 12
Season 13
No season
Season 14
No season
Season 15
No season
Season 16
No season
Season 17
No season
Season 18
No season
Season 19
No season
Season 20
No season
Season 21
No season
Observed values come from the accepted season comparison record. Historical source qualifications stay attached to affected seasons. Missing means no NBA season exists at that aligned point; it is never interpolated. Missing is not the same as estimated.