Chris Paul in the middle of the Los Angeles fight — literally and figuratively. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE
The summer of 2011 was dominated with talks of where Chris Paul was going to play in the future since he was/is going to be a free agent after the 2012-13 NBA season.
Yeah, sometimes the media jumps the gun. However, a superstar player on the trade market or the free agent’s list is a huge deal these days.
None the less, to Los Angeles Clippers’ fans, Paul made the right choice by negating the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers for the red, white and blue Clippers’ uniform he wears now.
And according to Paul, who has been in the rumor bin to be courted by the Dallas Mavericks and other NBA franchises, he made the right choice for his basketball career by choosing the Clippers over other teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers.
What Paul said in the post on ESPN.com linked above under right choice, is exactly what I thought heading into his trade from the New Orleans Hornets to the Clippers before last season started. Paul wouldn’t have been the Paul we’ve all come to know and love if he went to the Lakers.
He needs the ball to be effective. So does Kobe Bryant. Instant issues.
Some people are happy about Steve Nash coming to the Lakers, including me. The addition of the 38-year old point guard is going to bring an exciting brand of basketball to the Lake Show that they haven’t seen in quite a while. Nash will push the pace and provide some excellent passes for Bryant, Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol to take to the hoop.
Steve Nash took the starting point guard position for the Los Angeles Lakers when many thought it was Chris Paul’s job. Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE
On the other hand, Nash is a happy go-lucky kind of guy who will form a new game plan around what Bryant and Howard want to do. Sorry for Nash fans, but Nash is a system player. If he wouldn’t have been in Mike D’Antoni’s system in Phoenix, he would never have been a two-time NBA MVP. He is a “yes” man and will only play his strengths if it helps out the powers to be. In this case, Howard and Bryant.
I don’t think Paul is that guy. Paul wants to be the best and have his team be the best. CP3 thinks like I do, the point guard is the guy who sets up the offense, whether a set play or something on fly. The shooting guard doesn’t do this, the point guard does. The shooting guard doesn’t head the perimeter defense and tell everyone what they should do, the point guard does.
I’m a fan of Bryant but let’s face it, he doesn’t always make the right decision and a lot of the Lakers’ half-court sets end with him forcing up a shot because he didn’t create and his teammates didn’t move.
Paul needs the ball and deserves the ball to run an offense. He’s a proven leader and will make almost any team better, but he has to have the opportunity to do so. I don’t feel he had that opportunity with the Lakers.
The Clippers’ point guard also mentioned something else very important that we constantly berate LeBron James for when he left the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Winning with the Clippers would be legendary.
Paul doesn’t want to form a super team or have to have the best of the best around him to win. He wants players who can play the game, which the Clippers have, and an organization that will do what it has to do to keep a winning team around. The Clippers seem to have all the wants Paul needs to stay in the red, blue and white.
James left because he didn’t win a ring in seven-seasons and wanted to win a ring with a team set up to win championships — Cleveland was not.
I don’t see Paul as that guy either.
He is devoted to carrying a team on his back and doing whatever he has to to make it a winner. He’s even willing to share some of the load with Griffin because he is a great player who needs Paul’s help. Griffin is not a player that wants to control the ball and make everything run through him. He is more than happy with catching lob passes from Paul.
Working with Blake Griffin has to be easier than working with Kobe Bryant. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE
This is the way players should want to play.
The point guard leads the team and the freak athlete who jumps out of the gym, catches passes.
Paul realizes this and is more than happy to be part of a winning basketball culture in LA not associated the Lakers.