Chris Paul, highly considered one of the best point guards in NBA history, has finally booked a ticket to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in his career. It’s been a long journey for Paul. At times he’s been accused of faltering in the clutch, especially during several of the L.A. Clippers’ late-game breakdown. But if head coach Mike D’ Antoni is concerned, the Houston Rockets point guard comes out big in big moments.
Mike D’Antoni on Chris Paul: “He’s big in big moments.” #Rockets
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) May 13, 2018
The Western Conference Finals will be the closest Paul has ever been to a title. And they are going up against the top favorites to win the championship in the Golden State Warriors. Paul has forged a career that’s worthy of a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He has accomplished almost everything and what’s lacking is a championship ring.
Against the Warriors, the Rockets really have nothing to lose. Yes, many would want them to take down the powerhouse squad. But for D’Antoni, not making it to the Finals and win a ring won’t remove Paul’s status as one of the best there is. As reported by Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN:
“I read something the other day [that said] sure James Harden should be the MVP, sure Chris Paul and James have been great, sure they set a franchise record [for wins by] about six games’ worth, but they’ll ultimately be judged by if they win a championship or not,” D’Antoni said before pausing. “Really? It doesn’t diminish what these guys have done.”
He added:
“I don’t buy it is all about the rings because there are a lot of guys that got rings that can’t play a lick. They happened to be on the bench with some great players, so I don’t buy into that totally.”
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