By Ron Evangelista, BuhayBasket contributor

In life, some things are just impossible or a pipe dream at the very least. The Police never did find out who the Zodiac Killer was; Liam and Noel Gallagher may never reform Oasis; and Chris Paul, who injured his hamstring in Game 5, has yet to experience the sensation of really winning. At least as of this moment.

First playing for the Hornets with David West and an able supporting cast, Paul always seemed to be the one to dethrone the top contenders in the Western Conference but would always fall short. Unsatisfied, he then went on to the Clippers to form a super team.

On paper, they were the biggest threat in the wild, wild West, playing with the likes of Blake Griffin, JJ Redick, Jamal Crawford, and Paul Pierce, among others, in different years. A championship coach in Doc Rivers was put in, and a blueprint for success was established in Los Angeles, but alas, they never were meant to win. They were one of the biggest disappointment stories in the league.

Success seems to be elusive for one of the greatest point guards to ever play the game, and he hasn’t had bad teams either. Most of his winning problems can be attributed to bad coaching, not jiving in well with teammates or just plain old bad luck.

Paul is not getting any younger. At age 33, he is nearer to the end of his peak than his uprising. The time to win is now and at all costs. Confetti has never touched an arena he has ever played in. A chip on his shoulder that he has yet to shake away and has haunted him for years. He had always been so close, yet so far away from reaching it and has been frustrating him ever since.

Probably lamenting the state of his career, he surprisingly joined the Houston Rockets at the start of the season. People were doubting if two ball dominant players could mesh let alone be competitive together. Giving one of the most efficient seasons of his career, CP3 has not only exceeded expectations but is now one win away from the NBA finals. The very stage that he has yet to be a Point God on.

Yet bad luck seems to follow him everywhere he goes.

After beating the Warriors in a close fight, Paul went down with a hamstring injury. It is no question in this point in time that the Rockets need Paul to beat Golden State. They would need all the firepower they can get to beat the heavy hitting defending champions.

Chris Paul would need to heed that call, and this might just be his year to silence everyone who ever doubted him, or else he may never be able to shake off the monkey on his back.

 

 

 

 

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