As valuable as statistical analysis can be in the NBA, it's important to remember that numbers aren't randomly generated by a computer. They're the product of humans playing on the court. To provide that context and understand the thinking behind the stats, ESPN Insider is sitting down with NBA players for "Data Dialogues" to discuss their games and their numbers.
Recently Tom Haberstroh sat down with Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul and played a little guessing game about the lob passes he's thrown over the course of his nine-year career.
Tom Haberstroh: Got a game for you.
Chris Paul: What game?
TH: You've lobbed to 18 different players in your NBA career -- successfully thrown a lob for an alley-oop dunk.
CP3: How do you know that?
TH: The NBA keeps track. So, can you name the 18?
CP3: OK, Chris Andersen.
TH: Nope.
CP3: He's gotta be on there. I played with "Bird" my first year.
TH: Doesn't say you got an alley-oop with him, not on this list.
CP3: Speedy Claxton. I threw one to Speedy. At LSU [when the New Orleans Hornets played some home games there in 2005-06]. I got a breakaway, like me and Blake [Griffin] had tonight, I stopped and threw it up like that. Speedy got one.
TH: Hmm ... not on here.
CP3: OK, fine. Kirk Snyder?
TH: Yup. Dang, you're going way back now, huh?
CP3: Aw, yeah.
TH: So, who's the most?
CP3: Tyson. Not even close.
TH: 171 times for Tyson Chandler.
CP3: After that, it's gotta be DJ [DeAndre Jordan].
TH: Yup. 110 times.
CP3: And after that ... it's gotta be Blake.
TH: Bingo. What's the difference between throwing a lob to DJ compared to Blake?
CP3: DJ can be standing in the lane and you can throw it late because he's 7-feet, you know what I mean? Me and Blake usually have to be in sequence. Like, did you see the lob that Jamal [Crawford] threw to DJ tonight? DJ saw it late. He just jumped up there and threw it down.
TH: Yeah. Not fair. OK, next guy on the list. There's a big drop-off after those three - Tyson, DJ and Blake.
CP3: Man. You said 18 different people? ... Oh, Mek? Emeka Okafor.
TH: Yep, he's on the list. Just six lobs though.
CP3: Hmm ...
TH: The No. 4 guy ... you've gotten him 19 times.
CP3: Hold on ... hold on ... It ain't Rasual, but he's on there.
TH: Yup, Rasual Butler is on there. Five times.
CP3: So, 19 times to this next guy, huh?
TH: Hint: He's not in the NBA anymore.
CP3: It ain't P.J. [Brown]. And it's not Kirk Snyder ... OK, what position?
TH: Small forward.
CP3: Not "Mo Pete" [That's Morris Peterson]. He ain't catching any lobs.
TH: Nope. This guy went to Big 12 school.
CP3: Wait, Julian? "JuJu?"
TH: Yes! Julian Wright.
CP3: Oh, man. JuJu didn't even play that much! 19 times?
TH: 19 times.
CP3: I think I threw Bonzi, like, one.
TH: Yep. Actually, seven.
CP3: Bonzi Wells. He came to us just before the end of the season, for the playoffs. D-West [David West] not on there, huh?
TH: Nope.
CP3: Yeah, he didn't play above the rim. How many more people are there?
TH: Ten more. Want some more hints?
CP3: Yeah.
TH: This guy was in the dunk contest, you played with him in New Orleans/Oklahoma City.
CP3: Oh, Desmond. Desmond Mason.
TH: Yup.
CP3: Jackson Vroman? I played with Jackson way back. I remember, I think I threw him a lob and he broke his arm. I remember, we were in Oklahoma and he swung around with the bone out ... [turns out it wasn't a lob, but yes, it was as gruesome as it sounds].
TH: Vroman is not on the list. You're missing a couple guys from last season.
CP3: Hollins.
TH: Yup. Ryan Hollins.
CP3: OK, I got Hollins on there. Oh! "Bled." [Eric Bledsoe] Definitely got Bled.
TH: Yup. Twice. Next one: He was a starter tonight.
CP3: Matt [Barnes]. Yeah, Matt took a couple. Who else?
TH: Give up already? OK. Marcus Thornton.
CP3: Yeah, Marcus got a couple.
TH: Trevor Ariza. Sean Marks. Willie Green.
CP3: Willie Green? Wow, really? Cedric Simmons not on there?
TH: Nope. [I show him the list.]
CP3: Wow, that's crazy. They left out a couple, I know for a fact. I could show you. It was at LSU after Katrina. No, it was in Toronto. It was in Toronto. I got a steal, and I saw Speedy coming, and I stopped just like I did with Blake and threw it up like that, and Speedy dunked it. I can show you that. I'm on Synergy all day, everyday. You know what I'm talking about, Synergy?
TH: Of course. Use it every day.
CP3: So, go to Synergy. And go to '05-06. And then filter it for New Orleans versus Toronto. I'm going to find this.
Postscript: I looked this up and found it myself. It turns out Paul is right. He did throw a lob to Claxton, but it wasn't in Toronto. It was actually in Madison Square Garden, but who cares? That's amazing recall.
For whatever reason, the NBA labeled the alley-oop as a "driving dunk shot" not an "alley-oop dunk shot" like they normally do. Here's the film. And here, too.
Eight years later, Paul could instantly connect the two plays. Paul correctly guessed 13 of the 19, including Claxton. Not bad for someone who has dished out more than 6,000 assists. Below is the full chart of who Paul has connected with on alley-oop passes for a score.