NBA Players: 3 Things we learned from Chris Paul's tenure at the Houston Rockets

Back in June of 2017, the Houston Rockets gave away a large pool of players including Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Sam Dekker, Montrezl Harrell, a handful of filler contracts, and a 2018 first-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers in return for the Point God Chris Paul.

Fast forward to two years, the Rockets franchise is still devoid of that ever-elusive NBA title and moreover, the front office decided to trade away a package containing Paul and a heap of picks to the Thunder in exchange for Russell Westbrook.

“I hated that call. I’m sure he hated it more. He’s been such a great player for us. We were moments away from winning a title with him.” - Rockets GM Daryl Morey

As was expected, CP3's two-year stint at Houston incorporated a plethora of crests and troughs and so it was only fitting that we try to summarise the key aspects of his stay with James Harden's entourage.

#1 Megastars have a way of making things work despite the chemistry issues

Two of the most professional veterans in the game.

Given their style of play and contrasting characters, it was tough to think of a peaceful co-existence for Paul and Harden on the floor. They're both ball-dominant guards carrying different ways to approach the game in a particular situation and as a reason, the duo did grind through minor issues during the past couple of years.

However, when winning a championship is the common goal, they never let their off-court differences affect the team's on-court results. In the bigger picture, the squad finished with a blazing 81-22 (78.64 win percentage) win-loss record when Paul shared the floor with Harden during his two seasons.

In all actuality, the Rockets were a tough team to beat when both of them were healthy and clicking. It clearly showed that when winning is all that matters, superstars find a way to leave personal matters outside the door.

#2 Fitness plays a vital role for players nearing the end of their prime

Chris Paul suffered a hamstring injury in Game 5 of the West Finals against GSW

Paul was already an aging 32-year-old when the Rockets signed him for the first time and to follow it up with a 4-year, $160 million maximum contract extension in July of 2018 after his injury cost the franchise a title could never be a wise decision.

Chris was sliding past his peak briskly and battled injuries again during the 2018-19 campaign, averaging just 15.6 points per game on 41.9 percent shooting from the field. Considering his shorter frame, his athleticism and quick first step are what used to make him productive in isolation sets - and all of that took a major hit due to his injury history.

The Chris Paul and James Harden backcourt couldn't beat the Warriors in Game 5 or Game 6 despite Durant injuring his calf this past postseason, and that was a clear sign of a closing championship window.

Paul is still a legitimate floor general but is certainly entering the twilight of his career.

#3 If luck favors, the Rockets are a surefire Championship-caliber team

The Rockets have all the mental equipment necessary to go big.

Chris Paul was averaging over 21 points in the 2018 playoffs when he crashed out against Golden State in the Western Conference Finals. The Rockets were leading the series 3-2 and then went on to lose two straight to the defending champs.

To put things into perspective, they were indeed moments away from lifting the title figuratively, as the ailing LeBron-led Cavaliers side wouldn't have posed much of an obstacle in the NBA Finals down the road.

In retrospect, this was a squad that had posted a franchise-best 65-17 win-loss record during the regular season and finished as the No. 1 seed for the first time in franchise history. Clearly, they were meant to be the antithesis to the mighty Warriors, but fate had other plans.

However, now that the Houston squad has shown the resilience needed to lift the Larry O'Brien trophy given the right support, bagging Russell Westbrook seems to have extended their title hopes for at least another couple of years.