NBA News: Suns Star Guard Missed Elite '50-40-90' Club Due To Half Court Shots

Phoenix Suns playmaker Chris Paul had an impressive stint for the franchise in the 2020-2021 NBA season, carrying them to the second seed in the Western Conference.

Individually, Paul averaged 16.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 8.9 assists. Along with his consistency and efficiency, experts deemed the 36-year-old worthy of the regular season MVP award.

What is even more mind-blowing, as Kellan Olson of Arizona Sports pointed out, is that Paul could have joined elite company with his shooting percentages of 49.9% (overall), 39.5% (threes), and a league-best 93.4% (free throws).

The prestigious NBA "50-40-90" Club, named after distinguished players who have reached the shooting percentage benchmark in a span of a season, only has nine members so far.

Players who joined the club in the previous years were Kevin Durant, Larry Bird, Mark Price, Reggie Miller, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Stephen Curry and Malcolm Brogdon.

Coincidentally, Brooklyn Nets All-Star guard Kyrie Irving recently became the ninth individual, norming 50.6%-40.2%-92.2% to join his teammate Durant in the rare list.

As Olson detailed, Paul would have been the 10th member if it wasn't for random half court shots he attempted in the 70 games he suited up for the Suns.

"Just looked it up and, yes, [Chris Paul] would have had it without a few heaves. He had five misses from beyond halfcourt, so it would have been a 50.2 FG% and 40.3 3P% without those," Olson wrote on his Twitter account.

Paul likely doesn't care about the missed opportunity.

An 11-time All-Star, nine-time All-NBA and nine-time All-Defensive Team selection, Paul's ultimate goal is to win a championship ring that would cap his great career, where he has been regarded as the best court general of his time.