Chris Paul to the Rockets

Quake Griffin · Post #281 » by **Quake Griffin** » Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:17 pm

Weird watching this guy in a Rockets uniform.

Ranma · Post #282 » by **Ranma** » Fri Oct 13, 2017 7:55 pm

Zach Lowe, ESPN (10/13/17)

If the Rockets are really good, odds are Paul stays with a known winning quantity. Where else is Paul getting all his money and the chance to win alongside another top-10 player? The Lakers come into play if LeBron orchestrates, but all the chatter surrounds the possible LeBron-George team-up. At 33, Paul won't quite be in the stratosphere where any team would rearrange its entire roster just to get him. He can't call his shot like LeBron.

Deep in the recesses of their cold analytical souls, the Rockets surely feel queasy at the prospect of paying Paul $40 million-plus per season into his late 30s. Daryl Morey probably has a framed graph of John Stockton's aging curve in his office to make him feel better.

But they are trying to win it all in Harden's prime. They will do what it takes to maximize that window, and figure out the rest later.

32 Crazy Predictions: LeBron's Future, a Bunch of Trades and More

Akklaim1 · Post #283 » by **Akklaim1** » Sat Oct 14, 2017 3:43 am

This will be the first time in his career that he is NOT the best player on the team, that's why I think he has a chance to finally make it past the 2nd round. But that depends on avoiding the Warriors until the WCF.

Ranma · Post #284 » by **Ranma** » Tue Oct 17, 2017 3:25 pm

Read on Twitter

Wammy Giveaway · Post #285 » by **Wammy Giveaway** » Tue Oct 17, 2017 7:12 pm

Looks like Chris Paul validated Michael Eaves's claim during the summer.

Ranma · Post #286 » by **Ranma** » Wed Oct 18, 2017 5:54 pm

Read on Twitter

JGOJustin · Post #287 » by **JGOJustin** » Wed Oct 18, 2017 6:09 pm

Ranma wrote:

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Clemenza · Post #288 » by **Clemenza** » Wed Oct 18, 2017 7:54 pm

JGOJustin wrote:
Ranma wrote:

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

The team was finished after the Houston choke

Dynamix · Post #289 » by **Dynamix** » Wed Oct 18, 2017 8:32 pm

I'm 90% convinced something went down when they spent Thanksgiving in Dallas.

TucsonClip · Post #290 » by **TucsonClip** » Wed Oct 18, 2017 11:07 pm

Wammy Giveaway wrote:Looks like Chris Paul validated Michael Eaves's claim during the summer.

No.

nickhx2 · Post #291 » by **nickhx2** » Wed Oct 18, 2017 11:15 pm

TucsonClip wrote:
Wammy Giveaway wrote:Looks like Chris Paul validated Michael Eaves's claim during the summer.

No.

correct. he didn't validate anything because michael eaves is a walking trashcan of misinformation and you should be ashamed for thinking otherwise.

Post #292 » by **mkwest** » Wed Oct 18, 2017 11:32 pm

Ranma wrote:

Read on Twitter

Very nice interview between KA and Doc.

Read on Twitter

JGOJustin · Post #293 » by **JGOJustin** » Thu Oct 19, 2017 4:24 pm

Wammy Giveaway wrote:Looks like Chris Paul validated Michael Eaves's claim during the summer.

Lmao what? how?

I mean literally nothing about what Michael Eaves said was even remotely close to being true. It was beyond irresponsible.

He says Blake out until December and here he is fully healthy for the first preseason game.

He says CP was mad at Doc for nixing the Austin / Melo deal when 1) That deal was never really on the table and 2) CP liked Austin and wanted Austin to play more. He wanted him to replace JJ. These are legit facts too.

nickhx2 · Post #294 » by **nickhx2** » Thu Oct 19, 2017 4:54 pm

ding ding ding

but nah if you wanna stay on that michael eaves train don't get mad when people call you out on it

Wammy Giveaway · Post #295 » by **Wammy Giveaway** » Thu Oct 19, 2017 6:40 pm

nickhx2 wrote:ding ding ding

but nah if you wanna stay on that michael eaves train don't get mad when people call you out on it

Well then, the Clippers will have to prove me wrong. Clippers have to draw the Rockets in the playoffs and beat them. If they can accomplish this, I'll gladly step off the crazy bandwagons.

nickhx2 · Post #296 » by **nickhx2** » Thu Oct 19, 2017 7:39 pm

so for you to not just stop investing in the dumpster of lies that michael eaves spews about the clippers, but also for you to stop spreading it on his behalf, the clippers have to beat the rockets, a result that has nothing to do with a guy with a vendetta against his former employers

run through that process for me why don't you

Ranma · Post #297 » by **Ranma** » Thu Oct 19, 2017 8:19 pm

JGOJustin wrote:Lmao what? how?

I mean literally nothing about what Michael Eaves said was even remotely close to being true. It was beyond irresponsible.

He says Blake out until December and here he is fully healthy for the first preseason game.

He says CP was mad at Doc for nixing the Austin / Melo deal when 1) That deal was never really on the table and 2) CP liked Austin and wanted Austin to play more. He wanted him to replace JJ. These are legit facts too.

Wait. What am I missing here?

First, I'm not sure what Eaves said about Griffin, but there was legitimate concern about him being out for an extended period of time from other observers, if I recall correctly. It's not unreasonable for people to have concerns about the length of Griffin's injury when in the past the Clippers themselves start out with initial reports dismissing the severity of Griffin's previous injuries only to be proven otherwise once details from medical reports were actually released.

Second, even Doc acknowledged that CP and Doc had a rift towards the end of their time together. I've heard the Austin-for-Melo deal was on the table and, given what he eventually got traded for, I haven't come across anything to make be doubt that. Even Carmelo Anthony has recently come out and complained that Phil wanted to trade him for "peanuts".

Third, CP liking Austin and wanting to trade him for his Brotherhood buddy Melo are not mutually exclusive. Wanting him to step up to replace an aging Redick who lost a step is not something that I would think to be newsworthy.

Can you guys catch me up with what is going on by pointing me to some sources and reports for me to refer to? I'd appreciate it if you guys have the time.

esqtvd · Post #298 » by **esqtvd** » Thu Oct 19, 2017 8:21 pm

https://theundefeated.com/features/chris-paul-time-for-change/

So why leave the Clippers?

I feel like the last six years we’ve had a great run. I felt like it was not only a good time for change for me, but for the team, too. Everyone says, ‘We get killed. We can’t get there. We just can’t get over the hurdle.’ I felt like it was time for change.

How did you tell Clippers coach and president Doc Rivers you wanted to be traded to the Rockets?

I don’t think we need to get into all that stuff. We met. We talked. We both agreed it was time for a change.

Is it true that you and Clippers guard Austin Rivers had a good phone conversation after you decided to go to Houston? (SportsCenter’s Michael Eaves reported that Paul resented Doc Rivers because he and other teammates thought the head coach was coddling his son Austin.)

Just like I called Blake and those guys, I called Austin. I wish him the best of luck with what he has going on in the future. … No, that report wasn’t true. If anything, Austin has grown up a lot and is getting better. I heard the report. It’s not worth responding to.

Is there anyone in Clipper Nation who didn't feel it was time for a change? His departure was notable because it was accompanied by precious little wailing and gnashing of teeth by his Clipper teammates and we the fan faithful. CP is maybe my favorite player in any sport but I'm good with it too.

As for what went wrong, it was more a question of not enough going right. 50 wins every year is nothing to sneeze at, and if and when Gallo and Blake get hurt again [as is their history], I'm sure I'll be wishing for the "close but no cigar" days instead of "not even close."

Would better coaching or better chemistry made a difference? I don't think so. It's quite possible we got all we could out of the talent at hand. The Big Three ate up all the money, and they just weren't big enough to overcome the lack of talent in the rest of the rotation. And let's not forget, the starters ended up being CP3 and 4 one-dimensional players, two each on offense and defense.

That's not chemistry, that's alchemy.

As for the coach, Doc wasn't the boss; Chris was, at least for 30-36 mpg he had the ball in his hands. As for Chris, he's now volunteered to be the #1a in HOU, maybe even the #2. We'll be better able to judge Doc and CP both when we see how they do apart.

wco81 · Post #299 » by **wco81** » Thu Oct 19, 2017 9:36 pm

I recall reporting that there was verbal agreement on a max deal for CP3, only to be formalized in the offseason.

Same was said about extension for Griffin too.

esqtvd · Post #300 » by **esqtvd** » Thu Oct 19, 2017 10:08 pm

wco81 wrote:I recall reporting that there was verbal agreement on a max deal for CP3, only to be formalized in the offseason.

Same was said about extension for Griffin too.

I think it's acknowledged the door was open from Ballmer's end. I always had the feeling he was fine with the Big Three and if necessary, the 50-win status quo. What Ballmer had control over was beefing up scouting and development, including finally getting a G-League team. Perhaps that would help.

Would the Clips have offered Blake less than the max if CP stayed? Maybe, I dunno. [Will they offer DJ the max to stay? That I REALLY don't know.]

From his end, no source is credible enough to tell us what Chris was thinking. CP himself says he postponed any decision until the season was over. I never saw any indication during the season he was leaning one way or the other.

Did you feel when you walked off the floor after losing a deciding Game 7 of a first-round series against the Utah Jazz that you had played your last game with the Clippers?

No. No. I know we lost Game 7. I didn’t know. I didn’t think about it. I don’t even operate like that. I’m all about that moment. I’m trying to figure out why we lost and what I could do to help us win. I didn’t know that was my last time.