#4 – Chris Paul
Another moral dilemma. Do the Wolves stick with Jeff Teague, the point guard that after a shaky start became a big player in the playoff push? Or do we add the point guard from the league’s best team this regular season?
I’ve grown to become quite the Teague fan, but it’s of course difficult to look past Paul after another great, albeit injury-plagued season.
Paul averaged 18.6 points, 7.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game in Houston this season. In just 58 games played, Paul was a big factor in the Rockets’ productivity, however those nagging injuries may lower his free agency stock just enough for the Timberwolves to swoop in.
Do we want our point guard to miss serious game-time? Definitely not, but do we place potential injury over potential for greatness?
Paul’s number of games per season have declined steadily the last four seasons, and whether that will continue or his injuries will finally leave him alone is anyone’s guess. At the same time, Paul has remained an impressive contributor for his NBA teams, and that doesn’t appear to be slowing down.
Paul is a real hard one for me. He’s a top player, but does he fit in with the current group Minnesota is fielding? The main reason I can see him leaving Houston is for more of a starring role after spending the season as a sort of back-up floor general to James Harden, despite being the team’s point guard, but does he have that starring role in Minnesota? Towns and Butler were both All-Stars this season, and neither look to be slowing down anytime soon.
It’s hard to imagine Paul’s addition doing anything but improving Minnesota next season, but is it worth the risk?