How the Chris Paul trade affects the 'new' NBA
It’s no surprise that the NBA has changed drastically over the past few decades, from Phil Jackson’s ‘Triangle Offense’, integrated into two dynasties of Jordan’s Bulls and Shaq’s (and Kobe’s) Lakers, to the spread pick-n-roll involving an explosive point guard and a lob-catching, dynamic center along with an array of shooters.
That change caused the power to shift drastically even though many did not see it that way and now the NBA has fallen in love with the 3-point line because of one team: the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors’ supremacy came out of nowhere and even though many thought Stephen Curry could be an eventual all-star, they didn’t expect him to be a 2-time NBA champion and 2-time league MVP (one being unanimous).
Coming back to the point, since around 2014, teams have tried to maximise their efficiency from the arc and that has led to many centers trying to add the 3-pointer to their array of skills, look at Brook Lopez for example. The point is, while many teams have done a great job at launching 3s, one team surpassed all others – the Houston Rockets.
Led by the MVP-caliber, perennial All-Star James Harden, the Rockets surpassed all expectations prior to the 2016-17 regular season and broke the record for the most number of threes in a regular season (1181). So when this team adds one of the top point guards in the league, the question is: Are these Rockets good enough to take down the four-headed monster in Golden State?
The answer is actually...no.
The Rockets simply cannot stop the Warriors defensively and while they are probably one of two teams (the other being the Cavaliers) who can keep up with the Warriors offensively, the acquisition of Chris Paul will not bridge the gap between the two teams.
Now don’t get me wrong, Paul is an excellent player who possesses the natural gift of high court vision and basketball IQ along with a refined jumper which can go off at any given moment, but when even Kyrie and LeBron weren’t enough for the superteam in Oakland, what makes you think these Rockets would fair any better?
At the moment, this team would probably finish second in the West, which is an accomplishment considering they would leapfrog the ever so consistent Spurs, but I doubt they would go any further than the Conference Finals where they would get exposed and dismantled by the free-flowing offence of the Warriors. Before any of this though the Rockets, or at least James Harden must face one problem: there is only one ball on the court.
Similar to how the Celtics might run into a few problems along the way next season, the Rockets backcourt now has two guards who, so far, have shown their highest level of play while controlling the ball. As far as assisting goes, Paul and Harden, on their own teams, combined for about 20.4 apg.
How do they do that? They control the ball and drive into the paint, resulting in opposing defences collapsing before they find the open man for an open shot. Personally, I am excited to watch the Rockets play next season with a court general like Chris Paul but the issue is, in the process of winning, will Harden’s impact on the game besides scoring deteriorate.
To be honest, Harden’s ppg average will probably go down as he needs to sacrifice a bit to allow Paul into the D’Antoni system, but I also see his assist numbers going down. The general level of impact he has would go down and unless Harden runs the show and orchestrates the offence, the Rockets simply do not have a chance against the Warriors. The reason why I am bringing up the Warriors so much is that Paul only joined the Rockets to win a championship and the only team standing in their way in the West are the Warriors.
Now that Paul has basically decided which team he wants to play for, the Spurs (who were earlier primed to secure his services) will now have to find a new PG to run the show in San Antonio. With rumours swirling that LaMarcus Aldridge might be traded for numerous All-Star players, the Spurs look poised for a summer modification and build around the superstar in Kawhi Leonard.
If the Spurs do indeed get some talent back for Aldridge and acquire essential pieces for a championship run, then there would be three teams in the West who can be categorized as ‘superteams’ and two in the East (let’s assume the Celtics finally make some worthwhile trades). If the Spurs bolster up and the Warriors remain intact, then Paul and co. would have TWO teams to worry about and therefore would need to be as effective as possible, especially Paul who would need to find a way to fit into the D’Antoni system alongside Harden.
So, how can the Rockets seamlessly integrate Paul into the lineup?
It’s quite simple: move Harden back to the Shooting Guard spot (his natural position prior to the ‘16-17 season) and surround the two with more shooters. The vision of Paul and Harden, along with their shooting, paired with lethal perimeter shooters will allow the Rockets to stand a chance in this 3-point shooting NBA where teams that succeed have solid 3-point shooters.
Personally, I see a Paul George to Rockets deal the most wonderful one the Rockets’ front office can make but if that doesn’t come to fruition there is always Daryl Morey to bank on right?
Watching Houston last season gave many people hope for the future and allowed them to trust the actions of Morey. After agreeing on his extension, Morey seems poised to keep the Rockets in contention for a long time and adding another piece to the dynamic backcourt duo would help him take them back to the championship for the first time since Hakeem Olajuwon.