If Westbrook isn't hurt, the Thunder sweep the Grizz. If Blake Griffin hadn't played the entire series then I would be willing to give Paul a pass. But as far as I know, the roster was fully healthy.
The same Blake Griffin that averaged 13 and 5 in the playoffs? Hardly the equivalent of Westbrook. Ibaka averaged 13 and 8 while playing much superior defense.
I really don't think it is fair to say that, I think there are at least 1 of 3 posts down playing CP3, genuinely disagree to him coming here... and they have made the effort to explain in detail why... imo, CP3 is not a good fit with the personnel right now, but it is also idiotic not to get him he is willing come... still Priority #1 = Dwight Priority #1A = Paul
I think something is being lost in translation here. Let's just resume this conversation next year. If Chris Paul is balling in the finals, then yeah I will be the first person to admit I was wrong. If he gets bounced in the 1st round again, will you admit he's not the best PG in the league?
For the Rockets need right now, Dwight, no ifs and buts. Keep as much asset as possible. I love CP3 as our PG, but our current needs is the #1 player in the NBA right now. If we do CP3, Superman and Beard, there is no way we can afford Parsons which I think will become a pivotal player. Reality is that CP3 and Dwight together is much more possible in LA than Houston, or even Atlanta. Both of those cities have some sort of relationship, or association with both players.
I think he meant we won't be able to give Parsons big money in the extension next and he will leave in 2 years as FA when we can't afford him.
CP3 is the best PG, but it's still true that bigs can contribute more than smalls, esp in the playoffs. That's why an old beatup Duncan is giving a prime LBJ so much trouble. It's why LBJ is so much scarier when he posts up and locks down the paint. It's why the B+ bigs of Memphis could beat Durant, even though he is an A+. Howard isn't nearly as skilled as CP3, but he's more crucial to our playoff success.
Both Howard and Harden are volume scorers at this point if their last few seasons are any indication, that is a pretty big overlap when trying to come up with an offense as we all saw in LA, where Kobe had to disappear or turn into a straight PG just to get Howard in the games. Harden while he has the potential has been shown to have turnover issues when he tries to play like a PG too much. Paul especially in his most successful spots with the Clippers can work with another ball handler and loves to make the pass to teammates so they can score. He is a proven team leader with no baggage and his being on the court with Harden would only improve Harden's game. Not talking about other players because anyone can be dealt or retained unless the team is trying to go for more then one high dollar FA, but when it comes to players, you are smoking if you think Paul isn't more valuable then Howard. These playoffs haven't been dominated by a "Big man", they have been dominated by guards and wing players.
With Chris Paul you get all nba defensive first team defense, something we are sorely lacking in our back court. Everyone likes to say defense defense defense ... well if you want the biggest defensive upgrade you take paul over howard. Howard is better than asik on D but cp3 is WAAAAAAAAY better than Lin on D. And you get a better clutch time option. I don't have a problem with Lin but saying Chris Paul isn't astronomically better in every way over Lin designates you as a full on r****d LOF. ... Id sell the team to get both and fill in the rest of the team the Miami route- vets that want a ring.
1) Do you know what a volume scorer even is? It is usually used in a derogatory fashion for those who take a lot of shots and are inefficient in getting points on their shots. Harden scored almost 26 PPG this past season on 17 FG attempts a game. His TS% is 60%. Contrast that with the classically bad volume scorer in Rudy Gay. 18.8 PPG on nearly 17 FG attempts a game. 50.6% TS%. Even Melo takes 22 FG attempts a game to get to 28.5 PPG. But let's say you want to use the argument that Harden is a volume scorer -- okay -- I still don't see how you can call DWIGHT HOWARD a volume scorer when he has fewer than 11 FG attempts a game and makes 58% of his shots. TS% of 57%. lulwut? Also, do you know what Kobe's usage rate in LAL was last season? A whopping near 32%!! Dwight was at 22%. Harden was under 29% last season -- a high usage rate no doubt, but still much better than Kobe's. They'll co-exist just fine, esp. if we stick to our in-out system and run PnRs, which Dwight is amazing at (so are Lin and Harden fyi). 2) Paul and Harden will work out fine, but it is inefficient, sort of like how Lin and Harden ended up co-existing 'fine' but were not the most efficient use of their talents. They both need the ball in their hands, and CP3 will relegate Harden into more of a spot up shooter. Contrast that w/ Dwight's role if he moved into the 4/5 position. He would simply be filling in a need that we have; a credible offensive threat in the paint that can draw double teams, or at least where the defense has to really account for him. Oh and I hear his defense is pretty good too 3) Of course we have to look at the other players on the team. We're talking about an actual possible signing or trade here, and what would make the team better, not a trade in a vacuum or nba 2k13 where you can override trades for other teams. Getting Paul makes Lin redundant, and most likely we'd try to move him. Moving Lin brings back less value than say if we moved Asik (which Howard's signing would allow us to do should we choose to do it). Lin's contract is simply harder to move because he's a less desirable asset than a very competent big man who is a defensive stalwart and on a favorable contract. Thus, adding Paul is not the most efficient use of our team's assets both in the moves we can make to improve the team and the talents he brings (which conflict w/ Harden's) in the role he plays. 4) When in the world did I say Paul was worse than Howard? I swear people have given up on reading comprehension these days. I even said CP3 is undoubtedly the better PLAYER when compared to Howard, but not necessarily the better OPTION for us as a team (for the aforementioned reasons). Very few in the GARM actually believe that Howard is somehow a more skilled player (or even a more valuable player) than CP3 in a vacuum. But again, we aren't playing fantasy nba or 2k13 here...so not sure why that should matter. 5) Finally, these playoffs have been dominated by wing players and guards instead of big men? Okay...and who were some of these dominant players? Lebron? Paul George? Sorry, last time I checked, their ability to dominate has nothing to do with a PG's ability to dominate. You're just painting too broadly if you're somehow arguing Paul George's/Lebron's successes somehow show CP3, a PG that can never play the SF position, is more valuable in the playoffs, esp. since it is commonly agreed upon the GARM that elite PGs are not as valuable as elite big men to win a ring, and that CP3 has never led any team anywhere in the playoffs. Oh what? Tony Parker is doing well? Yeah, so is Tim Duncan. Roy Hibbert had some great showings too. Sure seems like a good mix to me.
Agreed. Obviously if we can get both CP3 and Howard then we should go for it. But if we had to choose between the two, then we go with Howard all the way as Harden can do just about all of what CP3 does. And the fact is with Harden, we don't need a superstar PG.
If CP3 and DHo plays together, Harden may never get to touch the ball in a lot of offensive plays. We all know CP3 will not let Harden be PG while he is on the floor.
I agree with this also. For as good as CP3 is, he would cost us Asik and Lin and something else. Those guys would be replaced by minimum salary players. So...for my money I'd rather have Lin, Asik, and the rest of our bigs and simply add Dwight then to have Paul and a minimum salary big to back up Dwight and a couple more minimum salary guys to replace Lin and whoever else. Our perimeter rotation of Harden/Lin/Parsons/Beverley/Garcia(or Delfino) is championship quality. It's our big rotation that has to get sorted out. Dwight and Asik....that's dominant defense and rebounding for 48 minutes. I don't want to give that up. Not until we draft another young big man or sign someone (minimum salary) who can bring the same dominance to the defensive paint and boards that Asik does. Now, if we had that guy, then I'd be more inclined to trade Asik and Lin for Paul. I am hoping that Morey signs Whiteside to a minimum salary deal after all this gets sorted out and I am hoping Whiteside can become a legit back up big to Dwight (if we get him). If this happens it will make Asik very valuable to us on the trade front, paired up with one of our young PFs to get a legit big time PF. I am also considering the possibility of being able to nab a legit 4-5 big man in this draft (Cody Zeller) that would probably start at the 4 from day 1 and in my opinion would become a terrific rotation big for a team like us. If we get the big man rotation right, this team is a big time title contender.
I call BS... CP3 shared the ball with both Billups and Bledsoe. And if you think Crawford didn't get time with the ball as well _ Ha...!!!
How is Howard a volume scorer when he only averages around 11 field goal attempts per his career (he's not good enough away from the basket to consistently take a lot of shots). And CP3 isn't a volume scorer either... If anything, CP3 and Howard will force Harden to score more.
What this team need is someone who can can complete a lob. At the moment, Asik cannot do it, and whoever the PF is cannot do it. Harden and Lin is find at the back court, it is the front court needs an upgrade. Sure, CP3 will be an upgrade to Lin, but more than double the cost of Lin is not worth it. If CP3 was the PG for the Rockets last season, he will has the same exact result as Lin. No body can finish at the rim for CP3, and CP3's 3 points and jump shoot is not anything better than Lin.
