Winners and losers from the NBA’s opening week in 2018-19

Loser: Chris Paul

It was a rough week for the State Farm spokesman.

Looking to put last season’s Western Conference Finals Game 7 collapse behind them, Paul’s Houston Rockets lost their season opener to the New Orleans Pelicans, who look entirely capable of knocking Houston off its perch as the top team in the Southwest Division.

Paul was great in the Rockets’ next game, contributing 28 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists to a victory over the Lakers. But Paul left that game early after a confrontation with Rondo that led to Paul being spit on and catching a left jab in the face.

To add more insult to that insult, Paul was suspended two games for the fight.

In the aftermath, Rondo’s accusation that Paul is a “horrible teammate” is gaining traction in NBA circles, with former teammates such as Glen Davis and Ryan Hollins co-signing Rondo publicly.

So to recap: In the last week, CP3 lost a game, lost a fight, and may be losing his good-guy reputation.