To our disappointment, Chris Paul’s first game against his former team is being postponed due to a strained left adductor.
This is bittersweet news for LA Clippers fans, as the CP3-less Rockets will have a little less playmaking power when the teams collide on Friday in H-town, but the bout will now be less interesting for viewers. I speak for all Clippers fans when I say that we were looking forward to watching the “Point God” play against our boys. That is the “bitter” part of this equation. The “sweet” part is that the final score may now be more close, and perhaps even with the Clippers ahead? Let’s look at the details.
What has Chris Paul done as a Rocket?
CP3’s Houston chapter has been hindered by injuries (what’s new) but this does not take away from what exactly he has accomplished in a Rockets jersey. For instance, the team was 14-0 when Paul was in the lineup until they lost against the Lakers. Despite all the worries about him sharing the offensive load with James Harden, Paul has averaged 17 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals while wearing Houston colors. The team is 14-2 when he is in the lineup. He has proved every doubtful critic wrong by meshing with the Rockets’ squad with ease.
Does this help the Clippers’ winning chances?
The Rockets have been an absolute menace in the West. They flirted with the idea of breaking their 21-game franchise-high win streak with their recent 14-piece. So can the Clippers actually beat the Rockets? Does Chris Paul’s absence help their odds? LA has been utterly plagued by injuries all season long, but the team will walk into the Toyota Center with Austin Rivers, Lou Williams, and DeAndre Jordan laced up. Houston’s lineup can easily outshoot us, but the fact that we won’t have to worry about CP3’s unpredictable offense does, in fact, help our odds, even if the additional benefit is only slight.
The booing, cheering, tribute videos, and anti-CP3 rallying will have to wait until he is back in Los Angeles on January 15th or February 28th. Until then, we wish our former leader a speedy recovery, and we look forward to battling against him (eventually).