(3) Chris Paul is a good but unexceptional defensive player. He is not an elite defender because of his lack of size. He shares some of the same flaws as Ty Lawson. That lack of size/length and inability to contest shot-attempts at a high level especially on close-outs. Chris Paul also provides strengths that Ty Lawson does not have which allow him to be better defender. Paul is far more active on team defense, gets more deflections, makes more defensive plays and creates turnovers at a very high level. He also has a lot more physical toughness and defensive smarts. Those added positive contributions (that Lawson does not have) make Chris Paul a plus defender despite some of the problems his lack of size creates (problems which stop him being a top class defender).
I think Chris Paul is one of the elite PG defenders in the NBA. How many can you name that are better than him? The rules of the game make the point guard position a very difficult one to defend compared to the other positions. He may not shut PGs down like other positional players are able to do to their oppositional counterparts, but other positions don't have such large numbers of starters who get routinely burned on defense like Calderon, Nash, Sessions, Devin Harris, Tony Parker at times, Bibby (when he was a starter), ...
If CP doesn't shut down players as well as you like, he also doesn't get abused by them like many other point guards (even Rondo quite a bit, frankly) do.
Amongst starting PGs, off the top of my head, I am thinking ... I'd rank Chris Paul somewhere in the 7-11 range (well above average but not elite).
George Hill. Jrue Holiday. Rajon Rondo. Kyle Lowry. Russell Westbrook. Derrick Rose. Bradley would obviously be here too.
I'd put Chris Paul in the next tier. Along with Ricky Rubio. Deron Williams. Mario Chalmers. Maybe Brandon Jennings. Tony Parker (who is a much improved defender over the last few years). Mike Conley also.
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Typically, I am not a fan of small guards (PGs or SGs).
Shumpert's better too, as well as CJ Watson and Hinrich. The few times I've seen Ronnie Price play make me want to say him, and I'd probably take a healthy Delonte vs. the majority of PGs too.
The only thing Paul is exceptional at is waiting in the passing lanes, that's not enough to earn you elite status.