National Basketball Association

CP the PG

Updated Jul. 17, 2020 4:07 p.m. ET

This past offseason, Chris Paul was at a career crossroads.

Coming off of his worst individual season since he was a rookie, he was traded to what was perceived to be a rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder team.

But then, the unexpected happened: Paul rebuilt it.

There were, like always, concerns about Paul's durability. People thought he was he over the hill. Many questioned if he could he return to the level that made him one of the best point guards ever.

The answer has been a resounding yes.

Paul, miraculously, has gotten better with age. He increased his scoring average from a season ago, and his field goal percentage and free throw percentage would both be among the three best marks of his career in each category.

He's been so good this season that he made a return to the NBA All-Star Game for the first time since 2016.

And this happened!

What LeBron James is doing in year 17 has received a lot of attention, and rightfully so.

But what Paul is doing in his 15th year, as an undersized point guard, is equally as impressive.

Take the degree of difficulty for Paul into account. He has no All-Star teammates in Oklahoma City.

No James Harden or Blake Griffin.

But that hasn't stopped him, and he is currently leading the league in clutch points – points scored in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter.

With less than 20 games left in the season, the Oklahoma City Thunder are currently sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference standings, a half-game ahead of Paul's former team, the Houston Rockets.

The Rockets traded Paul for former MVP Russell Westbrook in hopes of making an upgrade at the point guard position.

And while Westbrook has been incredible for the Rockets, it hasn't materialized into more success for Houston.

Meanwhile, the Thunder are on pace for their first 50-win season since Kevin Durant's departure after the 2015-2016 season.

And Paul has been the catalyst behind this unexpected season in Oklahoma City.

He won't be the league MVP this season, but CP3 might be the most indispensable player to one team in the NBA.