Vegas Over/Under: 43.5
The Record Projection: 42-40 of fromal The Bet: Avoid but lean under
The way you feel about this over/under likely depends on one crucial question: Just how simple is replacement Chris Paul?
The Los Angeles Clippers did a fantastic job reloading after learning that Paul desired a departure to the Houston Rockets. Not only did they manage to pry some funds away from his new home in a transaction after he chosen in, but they also convinced Blake Griffin to re-sign before incorporating Danilo Gallinari and Milos Teodosic into the fold.
This is a gifted roster with ability and upside at pretty much every position. It’s far deeper than it has been in previous decades, however head coach Doc Rivers certainly didn’t want to obtain depth at the cost of his team’s best player.
And that is the enduring issue.
Paul wasn’t just the engine that made the Clippers run; he basically was the Clippers.
Patrick Beverley and Teodosic should be solid replacements at the 1, but they can’t replicate his ability to run the offense perfectly.
Whether Paul was calling his own band or setting up teammates, he controlled the flow of the game in addition to anyone. It is why LAC was a shocking 19.6 points per 100 possessions better with him on the ground in 2016-17, in addition to the reason that he finished No. 2 overall in ESPN.com’s actual plus/minus, behind only LeBron James.
His work simply can’t be replicated.
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