Just wishful thinking on your part on him leaving since you still haven't let go of the trade veto. Paul isn't the problem he has carried them all year and is a franchise player. It's a reason that team went from irrelevant to one of the most relevant teams in the league. The issue is what the TNT guys pointed out that no one else is stepping up. 1 guy having 30 points while the next best scorer wasn't even at double digits in the 4th is bad. Plus a pass first point guards job isn't to average 30 points per game.
I don't like the veto because it broke bs precedents. Anyhow I'm more so focused on the fact I just can't see Paul staying long term looking at DJ and Blake. I think Houston could be a heck of a fit for him with the way they are playing small ball, especially since Paul historically has always played well with a Pargo, Jackson, Claxton, and Jack. He could very well take the place of Beverly.
And yes in turn its his job to step it up. He has to step it up his scoring and minutes load to be called a superstar/franchise player. Its why he can neve be your A or best player. He can't play a full season. He has to have his minutes monitored all year. He wears the brace because like Roy, he had them remove his meniscus. And he doesn't step up to the plate and score when his team needs him to like Thomas, like Parker, etc. He isn't good enough on the glass or defensively to change a game like Kidd or Magic. So yes I blame him for letting Conley play him to a negligible standstill, that should never happen, he's Chris Paul and should shit on him like Kobe, Shaq, Melo, Bron, do their counterparts. It isn't a. New thing with him, he's always underperformed vs elites as well as Deron has routinely destroyed him and he's Tony Prkers playoff bitch.
I just don't see him as a max franchise guy, and by that I mean max years and length. You can pay him max dollars but giving him 5 years if you are the clips is a risk because of his body and inability to step it up in the postseason. I mean we can all think of guys who failed like Reggie, Karl, Barkely, AI, McGrady, etc moments where they took over series ... Can you name a CP series like any of theirs in your memory? I also just can't see him sticking around when DJ and Blake are going to eat that cap, especially DJ who is the black Biedrins.
Even when he was a laker for 15 minutes, I had no problem with it because at the end of the day he was coming in to be what he naturally is ... A Pippen, a Pau .... A robin which is what he fits mentally and more importantly physically because if your guy can t go for 30-40 while playing 40mpg in the playoffs with all in the line, he ain't a franchise guy
