The return of CP3 also means the return of one of the most unstoppable moves in the NBA.

When you think of the most unstoppable moves, there are many that might come to mind. Some popular choices might include Giannis’ Euro-step layup, Kevin Durant’s post fadeaway, DeMar DeRozan’s flurry of pump fakes, or Steph Curry pulling up in transition for 3. But none of these come close in terms of ruthless efficiency to Chris Paul’s rip through move. 

Paul has truly perfected the art of the rip through. The NBA changed the rules prior to the 2011-12 season to call it as a non-shooting foul, but Paul will wait until the Suns are already in the bonus. That means that rather than taking the ball out on the side, he gets two freebies at the line. Given that he’s a career 87 percent free throw shooter, that’s 1.74 expected points that he is adding to his team’s total every time gets the call in the bonus. 

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And that he does. In the 58 games of Paul’s 2021-22 season that he played before breaking his thumb injury, he had successfully pulled off the rip through an astounding 49 times. Around seven percent of his total points this season have come directly off free throws from the rip through.

How does he pull this move off so successfully? I went through every single one of Paul’s fouls drawn this season, and there were some commonalities in when he uses the rip through. When a younger player is guarding him in the bonus, he’s almost guaranteed to try it. He will usually call for a ball screen, then wait for a defender to stick his arm out. Once that happens, he’s going to the line a few seconds later.

Paul recently appeared on JJ Redick’s podcast to discuss the controversy behind the move and give his two cents on why it should be allowed. 

Redick and Paul went back-and-forth on whether the move should be considered a foul. Paul’s explanation was that it was the result of bad defensive technique being taught by coaching staffs. 

Redick agreed that by defending ball screens in the manner that is currently taught, defenders were “dead meat” once Paul started his rip through move.

 So for me, like I actually play defense and I play defense for a long time. I know how to guard a guy without putting my arm in there, especially if [the rip through] is what the guy likes to do.

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Paul also blamed his opponents for not studying the game thoroughly. 

Paul seemed to echo this sentiment when he caught Coby White with the move earlier this season. Paul mentored White at his AAU camps, and he sent White a friendly message by tapping at his temple as he headed to the free throw line. 

At what point are we going to hold guys accountable for knowing the game? Knowing the game. So if I get the ball late down the stretch or something like that and I call for a ball screen and you’re not thinking enough that you want to get into the ball like that, that’s my fault?

Paul also argued that the move should be considered a foul because it was a legitimate basketball move for him given his natural shooting motion. 

To me, this part of Paul’s argument is not credible at all. This season, he’s successfully used the rip through from near half court and laughed about it afterwards. He’s pulled one off from 90 feet out with 19 seconds left on the clock and headed to the line. Of all the rip throughs I watched, none were even close to real shot attempts. 

Whether you’re in favor of the rip through or not, it is brutally effective. Paul called it a skill, and he certainly has mastered it better than any other player in the league. It’s terrible to watch, and I would not suggest queueing up 44 of them in a row as I did.

There is an easy solution, though. Listen to Paul and study the scouting report, especially when the Suns are in the bonus. If you see a player sticking his arm out while guarding Paul, the rip through is guaranteed to be coming next.

It’s perhaps the most brutally effective trick in the bag for one of the NBA’s savviest floor generals.