Rowan Kavner
PLAYA VISTA, Calif. – The reigning Western Conference Player of the Week knew he had to take control.
Chris Paul averaged 23.7 points, 12.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds and two steals per game during a 3-0 week, beginning in Portland. As Paul racked up a season-high 19 assists against the Trail Blazers, his most ever in his Clippers career, he didn’t need approval to run what he felt would work.
“He’s picking the right plays out of our play sheet without looking to me,” said head coach Doc Rivers.
One time, Rivers said Paul looked his way late in the game asking for a play. Otherwise, every play down the stretch in Portland was Paul’s call.
“When you start getting that type of stuff going on, your team has a chance to be really good,” said Rivers, who later added that Paul has spearheaded the Clippers' undefeated effort since losing Blake Griffin.
That’s obvious just glancing at his stats, but it’s also come with leadership. Rivers said Paul’s gotten better and better about calling his own sets, something Rajon Rondo was “brilliant” at doing back in Boston.
“I always thought the point guard sees it first and even has a better feel for it at times,” Rivers said. “There’s times I wave him off, but I encourage Chris to wave me off, like, ‘No, let’s do this.’ Nine times out of 10, I go with what he wants. I just like that command. I think that allows him to have a better pulse of the team.”
Positive results have followed.
Paul’s averaging 21.1 points, 10.8 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game his last 10 games. Among the four players averaging double-digit assists in that time, no one’s shooting a higher percentage (46.2) or turning the ball over fewer times per game (2.6) than Paul, who’s looking to make his ninth straight All-Star appearance.
Since losing Griffin, who’s first in scoring average and second on the team in assists per game, Paul’s averaging 19.5 points, 11.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds. Prior to Griffin’s injury, Paul averaged 17.7 points and 8.9 assists per game.
Paul knows the Clippers need the guys they count on most to be even more accountable with Griffin down, and he’s taking control. Paul said occasionally he’ll ask Rivers for help when it comes to play-calling, but the two are often on the same page anyway.
That is to say, when the Clippers run plays at all.
Often, with Griffin out of the lineup, the Clippers won’t run any sets, since so many of them involve Griffin.
“It definitely adds a lot more emphasis on getting stops,” Paul said. “That’s something I was talking to J.J. (Redick) about on the bench. With Blake out there, our offense runs so much smoother. Everything is so crisp. We know where everyone is going to be on the court.”
Without Griffin, the Clippers need stellar defense, because they want to get out in transition without having to run plays. In the last eight games since losing Griffin, all wins, the Clippers are fifth in the NBA in defensive rating.
“We’re not second-guessing things,” Paul said. “I think for a while there, I know myself, I’m passing up shots, Jamal (Crawford) might be passing up shots. We’re just playing a lot smoother, and like we keep saying, trying to hold it down until big fella gets back.”
Paul said major injuries such as Griffin’s force a team to come together, and he hopes when Griffin does return, the lessons learned and confidence gained from every player stepping up will pay dividends.
Until then, the Clippers will continue to look to their reigning Western Conference Player of the Week, who’s much more excited about the results than the accolade.
“I don’t think they ever gave that to somebody who went defeated during the week,” Paul said.