Some NBA executives think that Chris Paul has lost something, according to one reporter.
Appearing on ESPN’s “Numbers Never Lie” Thursday, NBA reporter Chris Broussard was asked whether the Clippers could compete for an NBA title. The Clippers reached the Western Conference semifinals last season but lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games.
In his answer, Broussard referenced the Clippers’ Game 5 collapse in saying that some NBA executives believe the Clippers’ team leader, Paul, has “lost a little something.”
“I’ve talked to a few executives — two in fact who are huge Chris Paul fans in the past and now — but they think he’s lost a little something,” Broussard said. “They felt like the way he crumbled in Game 5 against Russell Westbrook — they should have won that game — Chris makes two turnovers in the last 13 seconds — they felt like Westbrook’s athleticism overwhelmed Chris.”
I don’t doubt whether these executives said that, I just question their reasoning and logic. Paul has been one of the best players in the NBA since his rookie season and remains an MVP-caliber player. How can you say a star like that has lost a little something just based on what happened in 13 seconds of one game?
Remember when we buried Manu Ginobili two years ago? He had a bad series — not a bad 13 seconds — and then bounced back and was an integral piece on a title team. And he was older and more banged up than CP3 is.
This seems like a terrible overreaction by some people and helps explain why some teams make terrible trades and draft picks; some executives have poor judgment. Plus, saying Paul has lost something also ignores how much of a factor the referees were in the Clippers losing that particular game.
