Let's start off saying, ignore the main "big 3" benefit: Getting older solid vets cheaply who want a ring. After the last CP3 thread, I find most of clutchfans delusional by the "how many times has he gotten out of whatever round" argument. CP3's BEST teammate has been Blake Griffin, who is at the very best Shawn Kemp lite. But let's look past all that. CP3 before and after records: Clippers before Blake or CP3: 29-53 Clippers with Blake: 32-50 Clippers get CP3 (rest of the roster is VERY SIMILAR 1st year) 40-26 <-- more wins in a lockout season. 56-26 Feel free to scroll through and see for yourself: http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAC/2010.html Hornets without CP3 (04-05): 18-64 Hornets with CP3 (again very little changed and CP3 was a rookie): 38-44 39-43 56-26 CP3's 1 injured year as a Hornet (only 45 games played), they go: 37-45 I left off CP3 leaving the Hornets because they were on a fire sale, so hard to compare, but that team did lose 25+ more games. Feel free to scroll through and see for yourself: http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/NOH/2005.html CP3 just makes players better, sometimes its obvious with players like David West, just look @ the stats, sometimes you have to dig deeper for players like Griffin (see below). Beyond team wins lets look @ Advanced stats: 1) Most clutch player last year based on final 2 min within 5 pts of each other: 2) Win shares all time per 48 (#4 behind a few guys you may have heard of): http://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/ws_per_48_career.html 3) Win shares year by year. CP3 is top 10 every year since 07-08 but 09-10 (his injured year) http://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/ws_top_10.html Also notice how Blake jumps into top 10, that is because of CP3. Watch next year if CP3 bolts that Clippers team, I have a feeling Blake will drop out. AND final point. If you can get a superstar, you get a superstar. Doesn't matter. Superstars are the most underpaid players compared to their value outside of players on Rookie contracts. Superstars sell tickets for the owners, win games for the fans, and draw interest from other players to join for cheap to win. If this is the wrong forum cuz we don't have CP3 yet feel free to move mods. /rant.
Sorry NOTE: my clutch post isn't GREAT, but I couldn't find a really good example. Feel free to post anything for or against it if you find anything.
If the Rockets get Chris Paul, he would immediately become the best player on the team for atleast the next 2-3 seasons. Paul is a real superstar player, one of only 4-5 in the NBA. There seems to be this perception that the Rockets prefer Howard to Paul and I do not believe that is true. I believe Howard has gotten all the attention because he is viewed as the more likely candidate to leave his team and join the Rockets. The break down in discussions between Boston and the Clippers makes things very interesting from the Rockets perspective.
The only argument against CP3 that I find persuasive relates to question marks about his health. Significant injuries nullify the benefits of a superstar, as Rockets fans know well.
He hasn't had many significant injuries. (1 year had to have knee surgery, that is about it.) Missing 10-20 games a year, I don't find as a huge deal breaker. In fact it can help keep them rested come playoff time. The problem being Houston and not LA, NY, Miami, etc, is that the superstars we get will have some kind of question mark, or they wouldn't be available to us (barring a tank, and finding a gem like this Olajuwon guy). Dwight is a diva, possibly back problems. CP3 is a coach killer, possible knee problems. Harden was a questionable star, could be getting overpaid. Have to take a risk and hope his numbers translate to per 48. (They did). These are the risks you take to get your team contending when players like Lebron won't pick your city.
That, and Howard alleviates more of the team's current weakness than Paul does. Also, Howard is legitimate, Paul is something to keep us busy over the summer.
OR.......... Howard has gotten most of the attention because he's a "big" which the Rockets desperately need!!!! HOU already has a pg and a backup that's pretty damn good + Harden. HOU needs help in the front court moreso than the backcourt....
Above posters are correct. CFs doesn't somehow think Dwight is better than CP3...Dwight just fits more w/ our team's NEEDS and seems much more ATTAINABLE as he seems more open to leaving LA for us. CP3 has given no indication he'd like to come here. If both seemed equally willing to leave their current teams, AND we did not have ANY STAR (hypothetically speaking, let us say we did not have Harden)...I bet most of us in the GARM would all prefer CP3 over Howard.
Any questions Rockets fans have about CP3 would be put to rest when Paul puts the team on his shoulders at the end of the 4th quarter to close out a basketball game. Paul is the best closer in all of basketball (sorry Kobe). Add to that what he does to make everyone else better during the first 3 quarters and you are pretty much looking at a perfect point guard along with a perfect scoring guard at the end of games. That being said there are questions about fit and health- Chris Paul has notoriously had issues with his health throughout his career. He has bounced back time after time, but at some point in this next contract, history shows it will finally take its toll. At his age, its not uncommon for those injury issues to either slow down his abilities to score the basketball, or at worst cause him to miss a good chunk of games throughout the remainder of his career. If the Rockets acquired him on a 4 year contract, they would be thankful to get 2.5 to 3 full years of health in Chris Paul regular production. Still its a risk they would take every day. The question about fit- Isn't necessarily about Chris Paul. Its about James Harden and Jeremy Lin. We all know Chris Paul would be the top dog, and be allowed free reign to dominate the basketball for the greater good. So where does that leave the two guys who really helped put this team on the map last season, and put the team in a position to even think about acquiring Chris Paul? Its an interesting question. If James Harden's role is diminished as #2 or #3(with the development or acquisition of a post threat) scoring option, how would the Rockets feel about him all the sudden becoming an expendible asset? Just food for thought as to why so many Rockets fans are leaning towards going after Dwight Howard as opposed to Chris Paul IMO.
Howard is a bigger upgrade for us than CP3 is. If you can't accept that, you should go back into the "Random Lin for Any Other Player Trade Idea" thread and don't start threads like this that duplicate a 8-page discussion that's already at the top of the front page.
I agree that Howard fits a "need" better than Paul. However I would say Asik is a better center than Lin is a point guard. However, I would argue that Paul is a superior player to Howard. The only concern with Paul is injury related. He is the best point guard in the NBA and he always brings it and plays at a very high level. Howard, there are concerns about injuries, efforts, offensive game, etc. With that in mind, I think that Morey would prefer Paul over Howard (just my opinion). Morey has also gushed over Chris Paul and his impact on the game. honestly, I will be thrilled with either. Having said that, Paul is the better player, and it isn't by the margins.
This is false. Asik is a better center than Lin is a point guard. Further, Paul is a better player than Howard. The argument I can "buy" is that you want balance in your star players and prefer an SG and C combo over a PG and SG.
I'm with you. And this is why: Paul is better than Howard and better than Harden. The only thing that would have me think twice about trading Harden for Paul is that Harden is younger, with fewer serious injuries on his resume. And, we're not even talking about trading away Harden, but having the both of them. It looks like a no-brainer to me.
But Chris Paul is a dick. Where does that go on your stats page? Hell yeah I'm biased. I like rooting for our team. Don't get me wrong, I would still do it if he were on the Rockets, I'm not a Blank Only Fan, but still, just as well I'd prefer if we won without him.
Eh, CP3 only averaged 17 points per game this season. Harden would definitely still be the #1 scoring option, but he'd play more off the ball. His scoring would dip a little while his Ast'd% soars as does his efficiency. He would finish more plays rather than begin them with a much more talented PG who can create for himself and others - something Lin couldn't do.
If Harden and Paul can't co-exist in the backcourt, you could always trade Harden for Love or Aldridge or other big man flavor of the day.
Lin couldn't do that? How did he lead the team in assist if he couldn't do that? Also playing without the ball half the time.
Um, he's saying CP3 can create much better than Lin can. Not that Lin physically never could create ever for himself or others. You understand his intent. CP3 is a great 4th quarter and clutch player, so it gives defenses someone else to REALLY have to worry about in a close game, down the stretch. He is a very good defender, and he breaks down offenses better than anyone else in the league. I don't see how he and Lin can really ever be 'comparable'.
