Houston Rockets: 3 takeaways from 2017-18 season opener
2. Chris Paul’s health and integration
Chris Paul struggled mightily in the win against the Warriors. In his regular season debut for the Rockets, the 32-year-old point guard played 33 minutes and put up just four points on 2-of-9 shooting from the field. On the bright side, Paul did grab eight rebounds and dish out 11 assists, so he was still heavily involved in the Rockets’ offensive attack. Also, it must be pointed out that his defense was solid as expected.
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However, Paul didn’t play during the final five or so minutes of the game as the Rockets turned to Eric Gordon, who was having a very effective game on both ends of the floor. The Rockets looked more comfortable with Harden running the point, which he did most of the game, even when both players shared the court together.
Early in the third quarter, Paul winced in pain and began limping, showing signs that he is still struggling with the knee injury that bothered him during much of the preseason. It is certainly something to keep your eye on, especially because the Rockets play Wednesday night in the second night of a back-to-back.
Paul looked pretty uncomfortable spotting up in the corner when Harden ran the point, and when CP3 took over the ball-handling duties when the Beard was on the bench, the Rockets slowed down the pace and struggled to score consistently, particularly in the second quarter.
As mentioned earlier, it will certainly take an extended period of time for Paul to truly be integrated with the Rockets and to feel comfortable. The fact that Houston is pulling out wins against the Warriors without Paul and Harden clicking is a comforting sign to say the least.