Los Angeles Clippers rumors: Is Chris Paul’s durability an issue?
Since dealing for point guard Chris Paul, the Los Angeles Clippers have become a real power in the NBA. Last season, the Clippers posted a record of 57-25, the third-best mark in the league, and defeated the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs before falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Clippers have raised expectations and their goal is now to win a championship.
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For the Clippers to have success, Paul must stay healthy, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
"The Clipper were able to lean on backup guard Darren Collison last year who played really well without Paul as Griffin and Collison really picked up the slack.With Collision now in Sacramento, the Clippers backup is Jordan Farmar.The Clippers ended the season with 57 wins and the Pacific Division title, however if Paul misses a sizable chunk of games, it’s hard to imagine that in an improved Western Conference that the Clippers end up with the third seed without Paul on the floor.Durability has been Paul’s biggest weakness. As much as other have improved around him, the Clippers need Paul on the floor. Spotting the competition 20 games is the easiest way to lose home court and that is absolutely something the Clippers will be focusing on in their quest to get to the NBA Finals."
Last season, Paul missed 20 games and averaged 19.1 points, 10.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game while shooting 46.7% from the field, 36.8% from beyond the arc and 85.5% from the free throw line. In his nine-year career, the fourth-overall pick of the 2005 NBA Draft has averaged 18.6 points, 9.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game while shooting 47.2% from the floor, 35.7% from three and 85.7% from the charity stripe.
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