Former Rockets star gives fans painful reminder of what might have been

The Houston Rockets nearly won a championship behind their star duo of James Harden and Chris Paul. Now, it's painful to watch them reunite on the Clippers.

The relationship was unsalvageable, remember? After a 65-win 2025-26 season and a trip to the Western Conference Finals, that was a bitter pill to swallow. Still, there was some comfort to take in their deteriorating relationship. If they can't get along, what else are we supposed to do?

The rest is history. The Rockets sent Paul to the Thunder in exchange for Russell Westbrook in what was arguably the worst deal in franchise history. Rumors of Paul's demise were greatly exaggerated. After a down year in 2018-19, he quickly returned to his peak form. At 40, he's now far past that point.

It still hurts to see him cavorting with Harden. The relationship has been salvaged.

Paul made that clear in his introductory press conference with the Clippers.

Former Rockets duo have "unfinished business"

"After those two years, and the success we had, we definitely know we have unfinished business"

-Chris Paul on James Harden

You're telling us!

The Rockets traded Paul for Westbrook. He couldn't play with Clint Capela, so they moved Capela for Robert Covington. This culminated in the ill-fated "micro ball" experiment: With the 6'5" P.J. Tucker manning the 5, the Rockets were outmatched by the Lakers. It was the beginning of the end for the wildly successful James Harden era in Houston.

There's no sense harping on the past. The Rockets are in an excellent position. Perhaps time has healed the wounds between Harden and Paul. The pertinent question is this:

Do the duo pose the current Rockets a threat?

Rockets can't underestimate conference rival

I'd argued before that the Clippers don't pose a substantial threat to the Rockets. That was before the Paul signing.

I'm not necessarily recanting that position. The Rockets have a better roster than the Clippers heading into 2025-26. Moreover, Paul averaged 8.8 points and 7.4 assists per game with a Box Plus/Minus (BPM) of 0.8 last year. He's far past his prime, so his addition alone shouldn't terrify Rockets fans.

That said, the Clippers are undeniably dangerous. Paul remains an impactful player. He's also joining a backcourt rotation that suddenly looks like one of the league's best. When the Rockets and Clippers play, it'll be an intriguing clash of styles, with the Rockets built primarily around their frontcourt rotation.

It'll also be a painful reminder of what might have been.