If Chris Paul and the OKC Thunder pull off an upset over the Houston Rockets in the NBA playoffs, it’ll only cement this season as the best of his career.
When the Houston Rockets traded Chris Paul to the OKC Thunder last summer, it was thought of as evidence that the best of his career had come and passed. Over a year later, he has a chance at eliminating the team that traded him away to exile when they meet in the NBA playoffs.
The Rockets and Thunder are locked in as the Western Conference’s fourth and fifth seed, in that order. This matchup is without a doubt one of the most highly-anticipated series we have in the first round.
The Thunder being in the playoffs in the first place is a major statement from Paul, as nobody projected the team getting better as opposed to worse when they pulled the trigger on the blockbuster deal. But instead of embarking on a decline, the 10-time All-Star has had one of his best seasons yet.
Without the veteran point guard, it’s hard to picture this Thunder team even sniffing playoffs.
Paul is averaging 17.6 points, 6.7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game in what is now his 15th NBA season and at the twilight age of 35 years old. And that performance has put him face-to-face with the very team that sent him packing last July.
The Thunder are one of few teams that have a legitimate shot at upsetting their first-round opponent. It rests almost entirely on Chris Paul’s shoulders, and just how serious the Russell Westbrook injury proves to be. He’s already been ruled out for Game 1 due to a strained quadriceps.
The two teams have met three times this season, with the Thunder having a 2-1 edge over the Rockets. Paul is averaging 20.3 points, six rebounds, four assists, and 2.6 steals against Houston.
His season has been a surprise to many, but it really shouldn’t be. Paul never displayed signs of decline in the back-nine of his LA Clippers tenure, or in his two years with the Rockets.
Houston made the playoffs both years, and very well could have upset the 2018 champion Golden State Warriors if he hadn’t suffered a hamstring injury in Game 5 of the Conference Finals.
But, with the timer on James Harden’s window of MVP-level play continuing to tick, general manager Daryl Morey and the Houston front office pulled the trigger on what appeared a desperate blockbuster deal.
Now, Oklahoma and Houston are set to meet face-to-face in the playoffs with the one player they thought wouldn’t best alter their odds in a championship quest. If Paul can pull this off, not only will he prove the Rockets wrong, but he’ll add another storied campaign to an illustrious career.
Neither Chris Paul nor the Thunder were ever supposed to be here.
There was no talk of playoffs for a team that had just lost their lifeline of the last three seasons and beyond. But as he so often does, Paul took this team, and maximized their full potential, allowing him an opportunity to look his doubters in the face and potentially end their season.
The OKC Thunder will begin their postseason on Tuesday with Game One. Tip-off is at 6:30 pm est, and coverage will be provided by TNT and TNT Overtime.