With Chris Paul potentially being out for a month, the Houston Rockets have an even bigger need at point guard, one that Jameer Nelson could fill admirably.
When Chris Paul sat out the final five minutes of the Houston Rockets‘ win over the Golden State Warriors and was subsequently ruled out for Houston’s next two games, fans were told not to worry as he was simply dealing with a bruised knee.
However, Marc Stein dropped a significant update on Paul’s injury and the possible duration he may miss:
There are fears that Chris Paul's knee problem could sideline him for a month in Houston, according to league sources
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 20, 2017
That deals a big blow to a Rockets team that is looking to grow together and build the synergy between Paul and James Harden. It also leaves Houston down a man in an already thin backcourt.
An injury to Paul isn’t that surprising at this point. Paul has dealt with his fair share of the injury bug over the past couple of seasons. Over the last four years, the 32-year-old guard has played an average of 70 games per season. It looks likely that Paul will miss at least the next couple of weeks, but his injury could leave him out for over a month.
Space City Scoop
Coming in to the season, the health and durability of the backcourt was something to monitor. Paul and Gordon have both struggled with injuries in recent seasons, and overextending them during stages of the regular season could lead to significant injuries. With it looking likely that Paul has already been bitten by the injury bug, it’s time the Rockets move to sign a quality veteran point guard to fill in for the next couple of weeks.
And their ideal target was just waived this past week. Yes, I’m talking about Jameer Nelson.
Although Nelson is 35 years old, he can still provide quality minutes as a backup. Last season, Nelson played 27.3 minutes per game in 75 games for the Denver Nuggets, averaging 9.2 points and 5.1 assists per game. More importantly, Nelson is a good shooter, hitting 38.8 percent of his 3-pointers last season (and 36.9 percent for his career).
Although he is a poor defender (defensive box plus-minus of -2.3 last season) , Houston now has enough wing and post defenders to make up for Nelson’s shortcomings on that end of the floor.
Nelson would be able to run the offense alongside Gordon or Harden, is a capable passer, and experienced veteran that would join a Houston locker room filled with quality experienced players. The fit seems perfect for both Houston and Nelson. The Rockets would have a quality backup point guard for not only the immediate future while Paul is out, but also for later in the season when/if Gordon misses time or Mike D’Antoni begins to rest his key players.
For Nelson, he would join a contending team with a defined role over the next month. Then he would shift to a spot rotational player that fills in when necessary. At this point in his career, the Rockets present the ideal fit for playing time and an opportunity to compete for a championship.
Next: 10 bold predictions for 2017-18 NBA season
For both the short and long-term, the Rockets should focus on adding Jameer Nelson if they want to keep pace in the tough Western Conference.