If a Chris Paul buddy wouldn’t work, how about a Chris Paul antagonist?
In the aftermath of the failed Carmelo Anthony experiment, the Rockets are signing point guard Austin Rivers for the rest of the season, ESPN reported Sunday. He will help fill in for Paul, who will miss at least two weeks with a left-hamstring strain, and will return to a different Rockets dynamic.
Paul and Rivers had a rough falling-out with the Clippers, Paul reportedly finding Rivers a bit of nepotism beneficiary; his father, Doc Rivers, was running the show in Los Angeles. And what pushed Paul over the edge after the 2017 season — and away from the Clippers, as he requested a trade — was Doc Rivers’ unwillingness to include his son in a trade for Anthony, then dangling in his final days as a Knick.
According to ESPN, Paul has not objected to Houston’s latest signing, even if it does dredge up a part of his past he would like to forget.
Whether Rivers helps on the court is another issue. Before being traded by Washington and immediately released by Phoenix, the 26-year-old was having a down year, averaging 7.2 points on 39 percent shooting, to go along with two assists in 23.6 minutes per game.
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