If Chris Paul is hell-bent on winning a ring, he should sign with Bucks, not Spurs
What?
Why would a player chasing a ring sign with the Bucks (a team that got bounced in the first round) over a 61-win Spurs team that made it to the Conference Finals?
It sounds crazy, but it might just be the right move for Paul. As we have seen this Finals and last, having a cohesive and productive small ball unit is now a necessity if a team has any hope of winning. Tristan Thompson, the Cavs' 4th best player and offensive rebounding monster, is losing minutes to guys like Richard Jefferson because of versatility, not necessarily talent.
Here is a hypothetical. Say the Cavs, who are currently down 0-2 against the Warriors, had the opportunity to add either LaMarcus Aldridge or Robert Covington for the rest of the series. The most common answer would probably be Aldridge, because he has established himself as a star scorer in this league while Covington is just a role player.
In reality though, I'm almost 100% confident the Cavs would choose Covington, because of his defensive versatility and three point marksmanship. While Aldridge is more talented, his skills are becoming as obsolete as a fax machine. He lives for low percentage mid-range fadeaways and struggles to defend on the perimeter. The Warriors would run him off the floor. Covington however, brings much more value. He is one of the best defenders in the league. He could hang with all of Curry, Thompson, Durant and Draymond while serving as a quality floor stretcher for King James and Kyrie on offense. Add Covington to this Cavs team and I'm not so sure they are trailing in this series.
Now, where were we again? Oh yeah, this was supposed to be about why Paul should join the Bucks over the Spurs. Now that it has been established that players like Covington are more valuable than Aldridge in the context of the playoffs, the Bucks simply have more players like Covington, while the Spurs do not. Yes, Gregg Popovich and Kawhi Leonard are a much better tandem than Jason Kidd and Giannis, but the supporting cast for each team is incomparable. After Kawhi, the Spurs are a team of washed up vets (Tony Parker, Pau Gasol), bigs who can't space the floor (DeWayne Dedmon, David Lee), young guys who aren't ready to contribute big time (DeJounte Murray, Davis Bertans) and....Danny Green, Jon Simmons and Patty Mills.
But look at the Bucks man! First of all, Giannis is the ultimate trump card to KD. Giannis can defend all five positions, pass and rebound and has a longer wingspan than KD. Meanwhile, the rest of the Bucks roster is overflowing with long, in-their-prime two way players in Kris Middleton, Jabari Parker, Malcolm Brogdon, Tony Snell and Thon Maker. Add Chris Paul to this core and you have lineups in which each player can conceivably guard every player on the Warriors Death Star lineup. Even Paul, who is obviously smaller than six feet even though he is listed so, has given Durant trouble before. Remember in the 2014 playoffs, where Paul stifled Durant on the block?
While the Cavs struggle to find players outside of LeBron who can play both ends of the floor, every Bucks rotation player would be neither a liability on offense or defense. Which lineup would you bet on beating a KD-Steph-Dray-Klay-Iggy lineup?
Jon Simmons
Kawhi Leonard
LaMarcus Aldridge
OR
Chris Paul
Kris Middleton
Jabari Parker
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Thon Maker
Give me the Bucks all day, with role players such as Snell, Brogdon and even the scrappy Matty D providing the goods to get the job done.
Another big plus for the Bucks? They reside in the East, where they would not have to face the Dubs until the Finals.
Every playoffs now, defensive versatility and three point shooting have beaten out all other strategies. Boston climbed out of an 0-2 hole once they subbed the slow footed Amir Johnson for swingman Gerald Green. The Raptors escaped a 1-2 deficit against the Bucks as soon as they replaced Jonas Valinciunas with athletic wingman Norman Powell. And those are just a couple examples out of what has become a regular occurrence almost every playoff series.
There is a reason that an old wing like Andre Iguadala is going to net close to $20 million this summer while a similarly talented player at a less important position (Nene) will scrap for the leftovers.
The Bucks are a fledging powerhouse as LeBron nears his 33rd birthday. While the Celtics, Raptors and Wizards all finished ahead of the Bucks in the standings this year, if the Bucks add Paul, they could be the 2nd best team in the league with a puncher's chance of knocking off the Warriors.
Why would a player chasing a ring sign with the Bucks (a team that got bounced in the first round) over a 61-win Spurs team that made it to the Conference Finals?
It sounds crazy, but it might just be the right move for Paul. As we have seen this Finals and last, having a cohesive and productive small ball unit is now a necessity if a team has any hope of winning. Tristan Thompson, the Cavs' 4th best player and offensive rebounding monster, is losing minutes to guys like Richard Jefferson because of versatility, not necessarily talent.
Here is a hypothetical. Say the Cavs, who are currently down 0-2 against the Warriors, had the opportunity to add either LaMarcus Aldridge or Robert Covington for the rest of the series. The most common answer would probably be Aldridge, because he has established himself as a star scorer in this league while Covington is just a role player.
In reality though, I'm almost 100% confident the Cavs would choose Covington, because of his defensive versatility and three point marksmanship. While Aldridge is more talented, his skills are becoming as obsolete as a fax machine. He lives for low percentage mid-range fadeaways and struggles to defend on the perimeter. The Warriors would run him off the floor. Covington however, brings much more value. He is one of the best defenders in the league. He could hang with all of Curry, Thompson, Durant and Draymond while serving as a quality floor stretcher for King James and Kyrie on offense. Add Covington to this Cavs team and I'm not so sure they are trailing in this series.
Now, where were we again? Oh yeah, this was supposed to be about why Paul should join the Bucks over the Spurs. Now that it has been established that players like Covington are more valuable than Aldridge in the context of the playoffs, the Bucks simply have more players like Covington, while the Spurs do not. Yes, Gregg Popovich and Kawhi Leonard are a much better tandem than Jason Kidd and Giannis, but the supporting cast for each team is incomparable. After Kawhi, the Spurs are a team of washed up vets (Tony Parker, Pau Gasol), bigs who can't space the floor (DeWayne Dedmon, David Lee), young guys who aren't ready to contribute big time (DeJounte Murray, Davis Bertans) and....Danny Green, Jon Simmons and Patty Mills.
But look at the Bucks man! First of all, Giannis is the ultimate trump card to KD. Giannis can defend all five positions, pass and rebound and has a longer wingspan than KD. Meanwhile, the rest of the Bucks roster is overflowing with long, in-their-prime two way players in Kris Middleton, Jabari Parker, Malcolm Brogdon, Tony Snell and Thon Maker. Add Chris Paul to this core and you have lineups in which each player can conceivably guard every player on the Warriors Death Star lineup. Even Paul, who is obviously smaller than six feet even though he is listed so, has given Durant trouble before. Remember in the 2014 playoffs, where Paul stifled Durant on the block?
While the Cavs struggle to find players outside of LeBron who can play both ends of the floor, every Bucks rotation player would be neither a liability on offense or defense. Which lineup would you bet on beating a KD-Steph-Dray-Klay-Iggy lineup?
Chris Paul
Danny GreenJon Simmons
Kawhi Leonard
LaMarcus Aldridge
OR
Chris Paul
Kris Middleton
Jabari Parker
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Thon Maker
Give me the Bucks all day, with role players such as Snell, Brogdon and even the scrappy Matty D providing the goods to get the job done.
Another big plus for the Bucks? They reside in the East, where they would not have to face the Dubs until the Finals.
Every playoffs now, defensive versatility and three point shooting have beaten out all other strategies. Boston climbed out of an 0-2 hole once they subbed the slow footed Amir Johnson for swingman Gerald Green. The Raptors escaped a 1-2 deficit against the Bucks as soon as they replaced Jonas Valinciunas with athletic wingman Norman Powell. And those are just a couple examples out of what has become a regular occurrence almost every playoff series.
There is a reason that an old wing like Andre Iguadala is going to net close to $20 million this summer while a similarly talented player at a less important position (Nene) will scrap for the leftovers.
The Bucks are a fledging powerhouse as LeBron nears his 33rd birthday. While the Celtics, Raptors and Wizards all finished ahead of the Bucks in the standings this year, if the Bucks add Paul, they could be the 2nd best team in the league with a puncher's chance of knocking off the Warriors.
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