Prior to the start of free agency last month, the Houston Rockets set the tone for the offseason with the acquisition of All-Star point guard Chris Paul from the L.A. Clippers.
The move has the potential to put them on the map to make the Rockets an even more dangerous challenger for the Golden State Warriors. According to Monte Poole of NBC Sports, two-time league MVP Stephen Curry is quite intrigued to see if the new pairing will work out this upcoming season.
“I’m very curious, because I’ve got to play against them four times, at least,” he said of the James Harden-Paul pairing. “I’ll have to see how they work together, and we’ll have to figure out how to beat them.
“I guess the eye test may seem like it’ll be a little different. But they’re two high-IQ guys that know how to play the game and should know how to adjust to each other if they have to.”
The Rockets have put together two players that have been ball-dominant players for much of their respective careers. It will call for them either share the responsibility or one to play more off the ball on the offensive end of the floor.
Both James Harden and Chris Paul have operated with their responsibilities as the primary ball-handlers and distributors for their teams. This will require a huge sacrifice from both of these players in order for the pairing to work out effectively if they hope to be a true test for Stephen Curry and the Warriors.
If not, things could go south quickly with them butting heads over the offensive responsibility that could lead to plenty of internal dysfunction. Ultimately, it will certainly be one of the biggest storylines around the league for the 2017-18 campaign.
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