Former Wake Forest star Chris Paul came home to North Carolina Saturday night, leading the L.A. Clippers to a fairly routine 111-86 whipping of the woeful Charlotte Bobcats.
Paul had 18 points and 14 assists in front of what he estimated was a "couple of hundred" family and friends, most from the Winston-Salem area where he grew up. Both his father and brother sat courtside.
I asked Paul a few questions after the game in regard to the theme of my column for Sunday's newspaper and online, which is that any NBA team -- including the Bobcats -- is just two great players away from contending for a championship. The Clippers were a league laughingstock for years -- they once had 29 losing seasons in a 32-year stretch -- but now they have Paul and dunking dynamo Blake Griffin. They can go deep in the postseason.
I mentioned to Paul that the Bobcats (3-24) don't have any superstars while the Clippers (17-8) have two. He then endorsed rookie point guard Kemba Walker (who had 19 points and four assists Saturday) without being asked.
Said Paul of Charlotte: "“They’ve just got to keep working. Kemba is a great young talent. When you’ve got a starting point guard like that, you’ll have an opportunity.”
The Bobcats, of course, once could have had Paul. In 2005, they had the chance to trade the No.5 and No.13 picks away for the No.3 pick, which could have been Paul. They passed on that move, taking Raymond Felton and Sean May instead, and it has haunted them since.
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9 years ago
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Hindsight is 20/20. Even if they had traded those picks for him, who's to say he would still be here? He bitched his way out of New Orleans to LA. Who would even think anybody would choose to be a freaking Clipper?
What haunts them is drafting May instead of Danny Granger. Next draft taking Adam Morrison over Brandon Roy/Rudy Gay. Later on drafting DJ Augustin and Alexis Ajinca instead of Brook Lopez and Mario Chalmers. Raymond Felton better yet not drafting Chris Paul ranks near the bottom of what has haunted this franchise.
Thanks Scottt. I would much rather hear what Chris Paul has to say about Kemba than the nameless scouts Rick Bonnell likes to quote or the morons here that never even watch the game and just look at a box score.
Whatever...
CP3 said the exact same thing about DJ. He said Larry Brown just needed to take the reigns off of DJ at the time. Seems like a standard line. Just like the one players say "He's a great coach we just have to work harder."
Well CP3 was right about DJ. I think we are finding out how good based how we have played with out him.
Okafor,May,Felton,Morrison,Walker, Augustine. It took the Clippers 30 Years to get one after having a top pick every year.Do you really want to follow the Clipper path.
Some of these post are a joke. It is easy to play Ghost of Draft Class Past for sideline GM's but most of the picks were in line with their rank at the time of the draft. It is easy to do should of could of years later. The Bobcats' roster didn't help either to some picks like Felton who could have used a dependable finisher opposed to a garbage man like Okafor was.
Okafor in 2004
remember this??
DJ > walker.
but keeping both is the ticket. walker could be to us what harden is to OKC or jason terry is to dallas. we get anthony davis and cut some of the fat off the roster.....we're going to be good. sooner than later.
we won't become the clippers.
Kemba is not a point guard. He looks to shoot and he is not a good shooter. Kemba doesn't make the team better because he doesn't know how to setup others. Kemba also can't play any defense.
Of course Paul endorses Kemba. He just had 18 points and 14 assists against him. Why would Paul want the Bobcats to get someone that gives up that kind of number to him? What a stupid article!!!
Could the Bobcats afford to keep Paul if they had him? Him & another superstar? Doubt it. That is what plagues teams like the Bobcats. One of the reasons the NFL is the most popular sport is because of the parity. Every team has the same chance as another due to a salary cap. I know the NBA made "some" headway with that due to take effect in 2 years, but I'm sure its not enough w/o a cap. The owners should be ashamed for letting the players get away with it. They should've drawn a line in the sand. Its the only way to save the sport.
Bobcats won 3 games with DJ as the starter, with a "full" roster. Dj isnt going to save this team. This is far from Kemba Walker's fault. The kid has shown flashes good and bad, he's a rookie in a lockout shortened season. Kemba can play
Anon @ 9:30
Get a life and leave the language at home. There is no place for your inappropriate language, stop acting like a troglodyte (sorry if you don't know what that is, I don't expect you too)
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