Chris Paul’s Roller Coaster Ride to the NBA Finals
After 16 seasons, and several chances, Chris Paul is heading to the NBA Finals. Paul is one of the greatest point guards we have ever witnessed. However, for many years we have seen Paul fail in the playoffs. At each stop, there has been a moment where something bad seems to happen to his team. It is as if he was cursed. Luckily, he is now in the NBA Finals, a place where he belongs.
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
For years, we have wanted to see Paul achieve what his other peers have already achieved. It never looked as though Paul can make it to the Finals. This season was supposed to be similar. The Phoenix Suns haven’t made the playoffs since 2010. Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton are too inexperienced to compete against the Los Angeles Lakers or Los Angeles Clippers. However, they were able to do just that. His leadership and presence helped transform a team with potential to a team that is four wins away from being crowned champion. I want to take a look at Paul’s ride to where he currently is now. It was a crazy journey, but we are finally here.
The Bumpy Road of Success
Paul entered the league in 2005 and was a star from day 1. He was on a New Orleans Hornets team that were in the bottom during that time. Each year saw an improvement with Paul commanding the point guard position. It only took two years for him to be ushered in to the top of the NBA food chain, as he made his first All-Star team. In 2008, the Hornets looked like a legitimate contender for the first time with Paul. They won 56 games in the very tough Western Conference. In the second-round, the Hornets were matched up against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. Paul led his team to a 3-2 series lead, but somehow lost the series. Game 7 was at home, but he couldn’t get it done. That was the first instance of his bad luck that would soon follow.
The Clippers acquired Paul in 2011 after a voided trade would have sent Paul to the other side of the Staples Center. We deemed this era of the Clippers as “Lob City.” They were fun and looked like a team that can win it all. For the first two years of this new era was met with some success. However, the following season in 2014 was supposed to be the season. The second-round series of the Clippers versus the Oklahoma City Thunder was a battle of the heavyweights. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook versus Paul and Blake Griffin. Game 5 was the turning point. Series was tied 2-2 and the Clippers were on the verge of taking the series lead heading back to LA. Then Paul collapsed in epic fashion. Up by two and with the ball, all Paul had to do was hold the ball and get fouled. However, with 14 seconds left in the game, he tries to draw a shooting foul, but turns the ball over. The following possession gets worse as Paul fouls Westbrook on a three. Westbrook makes all three free throws, but there is still a chance for redemption. That chance turns spoiled when Paul turns the ball over again. Next season would be just as bad, or maybe even worse.
Photo courtesy of BrightsideoftheSun.com
What Else Can Go Wrong?
Game 6 of the 2015 NBA playoffs was supposed to be the culmination for Paul. The Clippers were up on the Houston Rockets while James Harden was on the bench. It looked Paul was going to his first Conference Finals and then it happened again. Josh Smith and Corey Brewer took over and made several threes to steal the game, and series from the Clippers. That era of the Clippers never sniffed the Conference Finals again with Paul on the team.
Paul ended up with the Rockets a couple of years later. His first year with the team was extremely successful as they were the first seed in all of the NBA. Paul made it to his first ever Conference Finals this year. We were so happy for him. He was finally was on the cusp of a championship. Once again, a Paul team was up 3-2 going into game 6. However, this time Paul couldn’t play in the remaining two games due to a hamstring injury. It looked like his career was going downhill. We thought that his chance of ever making the Finals has past. That was until he found the Suns.
The Legacy Needed This
His legacy is still great. Paul is a first ballot Hall of Famer. 11 All-Stars, 10 All-NBA teams, and 9 All-Defensive teams are on his resume. However, those playoff failures have put a dent in the resume. Steve Nash suffered the same heartbreak, but he won two MVPs. Isaiah Thomas (Detroit Pistons) is the usual comparison we use for Paul. Paul blows him out of the water in terms of accolades and numbers, but he cannot match his winning success. Other players of his era, such as Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving, have a title on their resume. Westbrook has made the Finals before. Paul was the guy that could never make it.
Making the NBA Finals changes the narrative of Chris Paul. Instead of talking about the what if’s of his career; we can talk about the greatness he has brought to the NBA. The old catastrophic incidents will always be on our mind. This roller coaster ride could have been down for the rest of his career. Instead we are at the highest point with a chance to go even higher. The happiness he showed after game 6 shows that he is aware of the ride as well.
The NBA released the mic'd up version of when Chris Paul and Monty Williams embraced at the end of Game 6. A strong, beautiful moment:
Monty: "Chris, you're going to the Finals."
CP3: "Coach, I'm trying to calm down, coach."
Monty: "You don't have to calm down."
CP3: "Coach!" pic.twitter.com/9PUOzQnJfD— Evan Sidery (@esidery) July 2, 2021
This might be his only chance of winning a title, but in reality that doesn’t matter. Just by getting there is a great achievement. This career trajectory is one we might not ever see again. The amount of heartache Paul has experienced over his career will always be tough for him to deal with. However, this one moment will be cherished forever.
***Cover Photo Courtesy of TheRinger.com