Before the 2019-20 season started, ESPN predicted Chris Paul and the Oklahoma City Thunder to miss the playoffs. Fast forward to today: Paul and the Thunder are set to face the Houston Rockets in the first round of the postseason. Paul's pal, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, paid attention to the noise before the season regarding Paul and OKC.
That's why the Lakers star was able to poke fun at ESPN after Paul and the Thunder clinched their spot in the 2020 playoffs.
The Thunder lost Russell Westbrook and Paul George last offseason. OKC traded Westbrook to the Rockets for Paul and George to the Clippers for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari and a bevy of draft picks.
It's pretty incredible that the Thunder and Rockets will play each other in the first round. That speaks to Paul's greatness as a basketball player. Everyone thought he was washed up and couldn't play at a high level anymore. The future Hall of Famer has meshed great with Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are now excited to have the opportunity to bounce the Rockets in the first round.
Paul is averaging 17.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game on the season. He's also shooting 48.9 percent from the field, 36.5 percent from beyond the arc and 90.7 percent from the free-throw line.
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