5. Chris Paul and James Harden can coexist — and thrive
When the Houston Rockets sent a package of players and a pick to the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason for All-Star point guard Chris Paul, the move was met with a high level of skepticism.
This team needed an elite forward, not another point guard. Could two ball-dominant players coexist, or would it simply be a layering of diminishing returns? Paul was a mid-range shooter coming to the land of Moreyball, where long 2s are anathema. For a Houston team frustrated with falling short in the postseason, why would they add Paul and his inability to get past the second round of the playoffs?
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What Paul and Harden did was blow up these doubts and more, putting together a truly special offensive season. Houston was 50-8 when both players suited up this season, a dizzying number. Mike D’Antoni staggered their minutes to ensure the team always had an All-Star point guard on the floor, and Houston’s offense hummed because of it.
Harden did not see his touches or opportunities ripped away; rather he was able to flourish and put together a likely MVP season. Paul, for his part, led the league in ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus (RPM), a stat showing overall on-court impact. Along with Eric Gordon, the Rockets always had two ball-handlers on the court at a time, and opposing defenses were worn down again and again.
In the postseason Paul was able to deliver as well, closing games out in the second half after Harden spotted the lead in the first. In the Western Conference Finals, he was the hammer in Games 4 and 5 before falling to injury. If healthy, Paul most likely would have seen this team into the NBA Finals. The pairing worked to perhaps the highest possible degree.