OKC Thunder: Chris Paul vs. Allie Quigley round one HORSE challenge preview
For comparison sake below are Paul’s shooting stats in his past five seasons. Note CP3’s accuracy from the mid-range at 55.7 percent and Thunder Nation knows many of those or deeper field goals of the 16 to 17 foot range. And, while CP3 hits the perimeter shot at a less efficient rate (36.2 percent) than Quigley they do come at the deeper NBA distance and are often made late in shot clocks and at the close of quarters.
| Season | Tm | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | LAC | 32.7 | 7.0 | 15.1 | .462 | 1.6 | 4.4 | .371 | 5.3 | 10.6 | .501 | 19.5 |
| 2016-17 | LAC | 31.5 | 6.1 | 12.9 | .476 | 2.0 | 5.0 | .411 | 4.1 | 7.9 | .518 | 18.1 |
| 2017-18 | HOU | 31.8 | 6.3 | 13.8 | .460 | 2.5 | 6.5 | .380 | 3.8 | 7.2 | .532 | 18.6 |
| 2018-19 | HOU | 32.0 | 5.2 | 12.4 | .419 | 2.2 | 6.1 | .358 | 3.0 | 6.3 | .479 | 15.6 |
| 2019-20 | OKC | 31.8 | 6.3 | 12.8 | .489 | 1.6 | 4.4 | .362 | 4.7 | 8.3 | .557 | 17.7 |
| Career | 34.9 | 6.5 | 13.8 | .470 | 1.4 | 3.7 | .370 | 5.1 | 10.1 | .507 | 18.5 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/12/2020.
The Matchup:
Notably, the WNBA 3-point line isn’t as deep as the NBA 3-point line so that will be something to watch for in this contest. Still, it’s clear how accurate she is from deep having shot over 40 percent in each of her last three campaigns. Granted Chris Paul is also adept at the deep ball but more precise from mid-range.
Thunder fans are familiar with the craftiness of CP3 and should expect him to try to mess with Quigley early forcing her to do some ballhandling too.
Paul will get to make the call on the coin toss because he’s older than Quigley and the rules of the tournament give the veteran player that privilege.
It’s safe to say Paul won’t want to get into a shoot out from deep with Allie because that’s where her main talent lies.
Chris Paul has competition in WNBA star Allie Quigley - check out her seated trick shot! https://t.co/JNGozlx84t
— Thunderous Intentions (@thunderousint) April 12, 2020
Both players are competitive and live for these moments as evidenced by Paul’s fourth-quarter dominance at this year’s All-Star game and leading the Clutch Time Killers in OKC. Quigley however, is no stranger to the spotlight having won two 3-point contests herself. And as the video demonstrates she’s got some of her own trick shots at the ready.