For Chris Paul’s sake, the Los Angeles Clippers need to win tonight. Despite pretty much being the best point guard in the NBA ever since the moment he was drafted (ok, that’s a little much, but he’s always been top 3 in the position. Only Nash and Rose can say they were better at one point), CP3 has fallen short in the one (somewhat flawed) metric that seems to matter to everyone these days: winning. I had a conversation with someone who told me they thought John Wall was just as good as CP3 because they both went to Round 2. That’s nuts.

But there’s some merit to this as well. How much a player wins in a team game usually tells a story about that player. Did that player take over (see Jordan, Michael)? Did that player shut down an opposing key player (see Olajuwon, Hakeem) that swung a series? Or did that player provide the key leadership aspect that allowed the team to become something greater than their parts (see Garnett, Kevin or Duncan, Tim)? Or lastly, did a player take a team of clearly overmatches players (other than himself) and will them to something greater than expected (again, Jordan, Duncan, Olajuwon).

At one time Chris Paul fell into that last category. CP3’s performance in a six game loss to the Lakers in the 2011 playoffs was one of the best examples of a top player going against a team by himself (CP3’s supporting cast: Carl Landry, washed up Emeka Okafor, Trevor Ariza and Marco Belinelli, when your starting lineup looks like a decent bench, that’s a bad sign). CP3 otherwise always seemed to run into other top players: Durant and Westbrook’s Thunder last year (7 game loss), a determined Grizzlies team anchored by Marc Gasol in 2013. The Spurs got a sweep in 2012. The Kobe Lakers in 2011. The last great Chauncey Billups year and Carmelo’s best playoff year in 2009…and then 2008.

2008. CP3 submits the perhaps greatest PG season ever, gets robbed of the MVP and takes care of business in round 1, pretty much establishing that Jason Kidd and the Mavericks were yesterday’s news. Paul’s supporting cast is a solid David West, a great two way player in Tyson Chandler (yes, even then Chandler was a crazy efficient offensive player), and washed up but still good shooting Peja. The Hornets went toe to toe with the Spurs, who were looking to defend their NBA Title. The Spurs, with one of the best defensive players of all time anchoring the middle, had no answer for Paul. Game 1: 17-13, Game 2: 30-12, Game 3: 35-9, Game 4: 23-6-5, Game 5: 22-14, Game 6: 21-6-8. That being said, it was only good enough for 3 wins.

It came down to Game 7 in New Orleans…and the Spurs prevailed. Paul played well of course, but it wasn’t enough. But hey, he was only 22 years old. There was more than enough time. This was in 2008.

It’s 2015 now. It’s Game 7. We’re on CP3’s home court again. It’s against The Spurs. It’s against Duncan, Parker, Manu, Pop (and now featuring Kawhi). He’s 29. It’s time CP3.