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NBA Players: 3 Things we learned from Chris Paul's tenure at the Houston Rockets

Chris Paul averaged a career-low in scoring this past season.
Chris Paul averaged a career-low in scoring this past season.

Back in June of 2017, the Houston Rockets gave away a large pool of players including Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Sam Dekker, Montrezl Harrell, a handful of filler contracts, and a 2018 first-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers in return for the Point God Chris Paul.

Fast forward to two years, the Rockets franchise is still devoid of that ever-elusive NBA title and moreover, the front office decided to trade away a package containing Paul and a heap of picks to the Thunder in exchange for Russell Westbrook.

“I hated that call. I’m sure he hated it more. He’s been such a great player for us. We were moments away from winning a title with him.” - Rockets GM Daryl Morey

As was expected, CP3's two-year stint at Houston incorporated a plethora of crests and troughs and so it was only fitting that we try to summarise the key aspects of his stay with James Harden's entourage.


#1 Megastars have a way of making things work despite the chemistry issues

Two of the most professional veterans in the game.
Two of the most professional veterans in the game.

Given their style of play and contrasting characters, it was tough to think of a peaceful co-existence for Paul and Harden on the floor. They're both ball-dominant guards carrying different ways to approach the game in a particular situation and as a reason, the duo did grind through minor issues during the past couple of years.

However, when winning a championship is the common goal, they never let their off-court differences affect the team's on-court results. In the bigger picture, the squad finished with a blazing 81-22 (78.64 win percentage) win-loss record when Paul shared the floor with Harden during his two seasons.

In all actuality, the Rockets were a tough team to beat when both of them were healthy and clicking. It clearly showed that when winning is all that matters, superstars find a way to leave personal matters outside the door.

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