Houston Rockets: 3 things we learned from the Chris Paul era

3. Sometimes, luck just isn’t on your side

In order to win a championship a team needs talent first and foremost, along with at least one top 10 player in the league, preferably even in the top 5. An organization also needs a good coach, good leaders in the locker room, chemistry and a little luck.

As far as luck goes, having a shot fall in after bouncing on the rim multiple times like Kawhi Leonard‘s buzzer beater in Game 7 against the Sixers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals is definitely helpful, but that kind of luck isn’t always necessary. In this case, we’re talking about luck in the sense of having the main players stay healthy throughout the duration of a long playoff run.

As everyone knows, Chris Paul suffered a hamstring injury in Game 5 of the 2018 Western Conference Semifinals against Golden State. The Rockets won that game and took a 3-2 series lead, giving them a little room for error, but the Warriors ultimately overwhelmed Houston talent-wise and took the series in seven games.

If Paul were healthy, you’d have to assume that Houston would’ve defeated Golden State, especially since they took a double digit lead in both Games 6 and 7. After beating the Warriors in the conference finals, that Rockets team would’ve been too good for LeBron James and the Cavs, just as the Warriors were.

2018 was Houston’s year to win it. Paul’s injury probably cost them a chip and his increasing age really put a strain on Harden in the next year, which brings us to the next thing we learned in the Paul era.

Next: No. 2