The Rockets picked up Chris Paul after he fell out of love with the Clippers, and now they might be sitting on the potential MVP. Paul has been a great player for a long time, but he needs to step up and show that he is an all-time great by dragging the Rockets to the playoffs and going far. He might not win a title this year, but Paul could easily be the MVP with play that helps the Rockets perform as a cohesive unit.
The Rockets have to come together now
The Rockets have a very small window for success because they cannot have Chris Paul forever.
They cannot expect James Harden to be a 30-point a night guy forever, and the team cannot expect Mike D'Antoni to stay with them forever. They are in a place where they have to start winning of their new owner will blow the whole thing up and spend a fortune finding new talent.
Making James Harden play along
Chris Paul should win the MVP if he can get James Harden to play along with whatever scheme he has planned. It would be pretty impressive for Paul to teach a selfish manchild how to play the game the right way, and it might even change the way that Harden acts. A Kardashian has already scorned Harden, and he was caught in a nightclub after losing in the playoffs. Maybe Paul can impress upon Harden the need to win right now.
If so, the MVP should be his instantly.
Running the D'Antoni offense
The Mike D'Antoni offense has looked amazing with someone like Steve Nash at the helm, and it could look even better with Chris Paul. Paul could be the person that makes the D'Antoni offense look doable, and that would be a very good thing for the NBA in general.
That would mean that someone had a chance of beating that powerful offense in Golden State, and it would provide a blueprint for using unathletic point guards to run your offense. Chris Paul was plenty athletic when he was younger, but he is getting older now. Using him to run a fast offense like this could be a Godsend for a lot of teams looking for a scheme to use.
Chris Paul has to distinguish himself
We have not had that one magical moment from Chris Paul. He is mostly defined by the fact that he cannot go deep in the playoffs. He is one of those people that sports pundit types think could be cursed, and the most notable thing that has ever happened to Paul was not being a part of the Miami Heat when LeBron went there. We thought they were buddies, but it turns out Paul has been a Clipper and a Rocket instead. He has to seize the day as soon as possible.