The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets seemed destined to meet in the Playoffs again. Here is why the Dubs should fear Chris Paul more than James Harden.
The Golden State Warriors have been at the top of the food chain in the NBA for quite some time. With many teams looking to topple the Dubs, there is one team in specific that the Warriors should watch out. The Houston Rockets with James Harden and Chris Paul, in particular, will be going all out to stop the Warriors.
Even though Harden might the be the reigning league MVP and is in the midst of one of the greatest offensive seasons in NBA history, CP3 should be the more feared player currently. Obviously, this claim doesn’t make much sense at first, but let’s look deeper.
Harden and the Rockets have consistently had great regular seasons, but have flamed out in every single playoff appearance. In the last four seasons, the Rockets have been eliminated at the hands of the Golden State Warriors a total of three times.
Both Harden’s success and failures can all be attributed to the system in which he plays in. The Rockets are completely content with allowing Harden to run the entire show. This means that Harden will rack up a ton of points/assists, but he will also be carrying a lot of weight.
By the time the playoffs come, this method has been proven not to work. It’s impossible to win a championship single-handedly.
This is exactly why the Warriors should be more fearful of Chris Paul than James Harden. There is no doubt that Harden is going to put up big numbers, but if none of his teammates show up to help, he is no threat.
In contrast, if Paul has a great performance alongside Harden, the Warriors will truly be tested. For example, Paul helped bring the Rockets to a 3-2 lead over the Dubs in last year’s Western Conference Finals. Had it not been for a hamstring injury, Houston might have knocked out the Warriors.
The stakes get even higher for Paul when you take into account that he is growing older in age and still has so much to prove. He has never been to an NBA Finals and beating the Warriors en route to his first championship would be huge for his legacy.
CP3 knows that defeating the Warriors before he reaches the end of his prime is the best thing that could happen to his career. That is why Golden State should be fearing Chris Paul more than anyone else.