Should Clippers rest Chris Paul in Game 2?

Sit Paul, save your star for when he’s ready

The fear for playing Paul in Game 2 is that he will reinjure that hamstring of his. The only thing that can heal a hamstring injury is rest and time. Sitting out Game 2 would give that leg of his enough time to properly heal, giving Paul a chance to be refreshed for Game 3.

Even if they lose Game 2 because Chris Paul is out, it’s not the end of the world. With the series tied at 1-1 and the Clippers healthy and at full strength, there is no reason to think they can’t win two games in a row at home and steal one other game from the Rockets in the final three to win the series. Losing Game 2 isn’t a death sentence, it’s a doorway for the rest of the series.

Besides that, who says the Clippers can’t win Game 2 without Paul? They did it in Game 1. Some think that Houston Rockets Coach Kevin McHale will get smart before Game 2 and not allow Doc Rivers to do as many gimmicky things, like play Blake Griffin at point guard, without suffering the consequences. But this is the head coaches first time out of the first round of the playoffs. Perhaps he isn’t as smart as people are giving him credit for. After all, McHale was a big man himself, so coaching up his players on how to stop a point-center like Griffin might not be his strong suit.

Whatever the Clippers decide to do with Paul will ultimately be between Doc Rivers and Paul himself. But if I were the Clippers I would say go ahead and sit him. If it’s broke don’t fix it. And the Clippers playing without Paul seem far from broken. Give your star point guard a chance to rest his leg and try and steal another win in Houston. By the time he gets back at full strength you might have a 2-0 series lead and home court advantage for two games in a row. The playoffs are all about taking risks. This is a gamble the Clippers should seriously consider taking.

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