Chris Paul Proving Invaluable for LA Clippers and Other Thursday NBA Takeaways

Chris Paul is valuable enough to the Los Angeles Clippers under normal circumstances, but the necessity of his presence skyrockets with Blake Griffin out of the lineup as he recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery. No matter how well DeAndre Jordan, J.J. Redick and the hordes of role players perform, this team belongs to the point guard. 

That’s what made this particular moment, coming midway through the third quarter of a 106-101 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, so terrifying: 

Video of Chris Paul tweaking his hammy: pic.twitter.com/hejmmu7UIY

— Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) December 23, 2016

Per Dan Woike of the Orange County Register, Paul’s injury was officially ruled a left hamstring strain, and he was deemed questionable to return. He never did, and the Clippers couldn’t sustain the nine-point lead he’d helped earn before his exit. 

Los Angeles still won, but don’t expect that trend to continue. 

Paul means everything to the Clippers. His defensive intensity has helped set the tone on the perimeter, and his constant probing on offense sparks one of the league’s most dangerous outfits. Whether he’s looking for his own shot or using his eyes and hesitation dribbles to open passing lanes, he’s always generating easy opportunities. 

The difference in performance with and without him is nothing short of staggering: 

Clippers With and Without PaulCreate column charts

It gets worse. 

According to nbawowy.com, the Clippers’ net rating plunges to minus-8.7 when both Paul and Griffin are missing. For the sake of comparison, the Philadelphia 76ers have the league’s worst net rating, with opponents outscoring them by 7.9 points per 100 possessions. 

Harping on Paul’s value to the team may seem strange in the wake of Los Angeles’ performance after his exit. But while there’s no denying how well the supporting cast played in his absence, that level isn’t sustainable. Small samples tend to promote fluky results. 

Earlier in the contest, it was already obvious just how much better he made the team.

In his 23 minutes, the Clippers outscored San Antonio by six points, thanks in large part to his 19 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals on 6-of-11 shooting. He was able to create separation against any guard the Spurs threw at him, and his passing into tight spaces created so many beneficial situations for his teammates—most notably when Jordan converted one feed at the expense of Pau Gasol’s dignity: 

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This is nothing new. 

Paul is in the midst of a fantastic season—yet another one, in fact. He entered the night averaging 17.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 9.7 assists and 2.2 steals while shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from downtown, but even those numbers sell his value short.

Every advanced metric highlights his excellence. 

His 26.8 player efficiency rating is above his career average—no small feat when his lifetime mark sits at No. 6 on the historic leaderboard. He trails only Russell Westbrook and Giannis Antetokounmpo in box plus/minus, and no qualified player has accumulated more win shares per 48 minutes. No players boast superior marks in ESPN.com’s real plus/minus; the margin between Paul and No. 2 Westbrook was as large as the gap between Westbrook and No. 14 Marc Gasol heading into the night. 

And, according to NBA Math, his total points added put him on pace to submit one of the best seasons of his illustrious career:

Chris Paul’s career has been incredible. This year is right up there with his best seasons back with the New Orleans Hornets. pic.twitter.com/R3yFEJfIpd

— NBA Math (@NBA_Math) December 23, 2016

That’s if he can stay healthy, of course. 

As of now, we have no idea how long his strained hamstring will keep him out. He could return within the week or sit out for a while, taking advantage of his team’s lofty position in the Western Conference standings to let the malady heal fully. After all, this particular muscle has knocked him out of the lineup before, and hamstring injuries are notoriously slow to return to 100 percent. 

If that’s the case, his absence may actually help build his MVP case. Though Westbrook and James Harden have emerged as the clear-cut front-runners for the league’s most prestigious award, Paul should at least be a part of the conversation. He meets every part of the unofficial criteria: 

Stats? See above.  Team success? After this win, the Clippers are 22-8 and …

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