Utah Jazz: Is Chris Paul The Modern Day John Stockton?

Let’s be real.

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You’ve enjoyed watching the NBA Playoffs this year and why wouldn’t you? You’ve got to see fourth quarter comebacks, epic game winners left and right and you’ve seen Stephen Curry turn into Pistol Pete Maravich or Michael Jordan the way he’s been slaying the All-NBA team.

For a brief second we also got to see Chris Paul lose the “not a winner” label with his incredible shot against the San Antonio Spurs in game seven.

For as grand as these NBA playoffs have been you still would have loved to see Paul playing against Curry’s Warriors in the Western Conference finals.

It would be headlined by the battle of the best point guards in the league and another great playoff rematch between two of the western conference’s fiercest rivals.

Then we all saw the Clippers choke away their biggest chance to make a legitimate run at the NBA finals. How many of you thought that the Clippers could actually make the finals once they defeated the Spurs?

Now the Clippers offseason is filled with the ghost of Ricky Bobby.

At the end of the post-game press conference following the Game 7 loss to the Houston Rockets, Paul said this:

"“So close, I don’t even know what that means anymore. I don’t know. Like Ricky Bobby says, ‘If you’re not first, you’re last.’ Getting close ain’t good enough.”"

A person can only help and think when are the Clippers going to seize on their chance? Will Chris Paul, a point guard who’s so awesome that he gets compared to Magic Johnson and John Stockton on a regular basis, will he ever play in the NBA Finals? Let alone the conference finals?

You can’t take playoff opportunities for granted. We see on a yearly basis how difficult it is for superstars to win playoff series. Ask Tracy McGrady how difficult it is. While you’re talking to McGrady, talk to Vince Carter, Dominique Wilkins, Allen Iverson and Reggie Miller, too.

Paul is playing like a point guard who’s going to rack up all the stats in the world, be labeled as one of the best when he retires and not get to experience the glory of hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy.

John Stockton.

Next season the Clippers have to get ready to make the next leap in their game. It’s going to boil down to making free throws and making smart decisions late in games in order to do it.

I even wrote about it here in the story “Reasons to doubt every NBA championship contender.”

"Reason: When are the Clippers going to wake up?It’s tough to watch the Los Angeles Clippers play because some nights they look like the best team in the western conference and other nights they look like a team that doesn’t deserve to go to the playoffs….If the Clippers don’t wake up soon then they’re going to lose in the second round of the playoffs once again and then we’ll have to hear that stupid narrative how Chris Paul isn’t a winner."

Shocking prediction right?

For as much flack that Paul gets for the Clippers shortcomings it’s not his fault for their loss. During this season he’s managed to bring nearly the best out of J.J. Redick, DeAndre Jordan and even Austin Rivers played phenomenally for a stretch.

The person he needs to bring more out of though is Blake Griffin.

It takes two.

May 14, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) talks to Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) in game six of the second round of the NBA Playoffs against Houston Rockets at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /

If Chris Paul is John Stockton, then Blake Griffin is Karl Malone.

Griffin though plays more like Charles Barkley and that’s why the Clippers need more out of him if they want to ever advance past the second round. Griffin’s all-around game has blossomed to the point that he’s got to start taking the lead in the ~~scoring column~~ offense.

Griffin’s game has expanded so much that he needs to start demanding the basketball more late in games instead of relying on Paul to make plays to set him up.

Thankfully because Griffin’s talented and only 26 years old, he’s still in the process of becoming that game-changer in the playoffs. Griffin’s numbers against the Rockets in the playoffs were remarkable as he finished averaging a monster stat line of 26.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists while shooting 55 percent from the floor.

Griffin also had four double-doubles and a triple-double during the series.

This year more than ever for Griffin and Paul, should motivate them to become better players next year. The loss to the Rockets might have ended the most bittersweet playoff run in their career.

No one wants to see Paul fail.

He deserves to become a winner because he’s a true leader in every sense of the word.

We also wanted to see John Stockton win one too.

Next: SEC: New York Knicks Could You Hurry Up & Pick Karl-Anthony Towns No. 4?

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