Houston Rockets Rumors: Chris Paul Knee Injury Has Team Seeking New Point Guard
The latest Houston Rockets news shows that Chris Paul’s knee injury could have the All-Star guard sidelined for a considerable time. That adds “CP3” to a slowly growing list of early injuries suffered by star NBA players. Others have included Gordon Hayward of the Celtics and Jeremy Lin of the Brooklyn Nets, with Chris Paul’s looking a bit less serious compared to the other two players’ situations.
A report from ESPN‘s Tim McMahon on Friday night indicates that Chris Paul could be out of action for anywhere from two to four weeks. The newest member of the Houston Rockets has a “bruised left knee” and has the Rockets already looking around for another point guard. The injury occurred back in the NBA preseason when Paul and Memphis Grizzlies’ guard Mario Chalmers ran into each other and bumped knees.
Chris Paul still played in the Rockets’ NBA season opener this past Tuesday as Houston took on the Golden State Warriors. However, he was said to have looked “hobbled” in his first outing of the new season. Paul still finished with four points, eight rebounds, and 11 assists in his debut for the team that acquired him from the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason.
Early rumors are that the team is interested in picking up NBA free agent guard Jameer Nelson. He played in the league from the 2006-07 season through the 2011-12 season for the Orlando Magic. Nelson recently returned and was picked up by the Denver Nuggets for a bit, but they chose to release him this past week. Since he’s cleared waivers, Nelson is now an unrestricted free agent and a potential candidate to replace Paul until he’s good to go on the court again. Nelson has career averages of 11.7 points, 5.2 assists, and three rebounds per game.
Houston, among other teams, have reached out to representatives of Jameer Nelson, league sources tell ESPN.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 20, 2017
While he’s no Chris Paul, Jameer Nelson would certainly help give the team someone else to fill the position in addition to Eric Gordon. Luckily, the 2017 NBA Sixth Man Award winner Gordon was able to replace CP3 in the team’s game against the Sacramento Kings. The Rockets ended up getting a 105-100 victory with Gordon’s 25 points certainly helping out. As of right now, Houston has a 2-0 start to the season.
Paul was one of the big offseason acquisitions in the Western Conference ahead of other big moves including Paul George and Carmelo Anthony both heading to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The move was believed by many analysts and fans to have catapulted Houston into a more serious contender role in the West. The Rockets are currently listed at Vegas Insider as third favorites on their future odds to win the NBA Championship, but that could change if Chris Paul’s injury causes further concern or the team stumbles.
[Featured Image by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images]
