The NBA Player Worth the Most Wins (It's Not LeBron)
Points are important to wins, though overvalued. Rebounds, field goal percentage, turnovers and steals, important because they measure efficiency and creating (and maintaining) possession of the ball, get short shrift. Comparing each player's stats to the average production at his position in 2008-'09 (the current regular season having just been completed), New Orleans guard Chris Paul led the NBA with 22 more wins produced for his club than they'd have notched with an average point guard. Cleveland's LeBron James finished a close second (21.4 more wins than an average forward), followed by Dwight Howard and Dwayne Wade (about 16 extra wins apiece). Kobe Bryant (8.9 extra wins) ranked 12th.