Paul Returns to the Ship: The Last Dance, Destiny and Redemption

Paul returns to the Clippers.

Look at the teammates: Harden, the Rockets' old teammate; Leonard, the opponent in 2015; Lopez, the opponent in 2021 Finals; Bill, exchanged with him in the Suns...

are all bad fates.

So, the Clippers:

renewed Harden and got Paul.

Send Powell, who has a salary of 20 million next year and is waiting for renewal, gets back Bill, who is the same age at a price of 1/4, and upgrades the forward line with Corinth and Lopez.

At the end of last season, the Clippers actually had only two long contracts, Leonard and Zubac.

But Leonard only played 37 games in the regular season last season, and Harden led the team to the playoffs with 50 wins. In the seven playoffs, Leonard averaged 25+8+5 against the Nuggets, 53%+41%.

probably gave the Clippers confidence: "The veterans can still play! Harden drags the thickness into the playoffs, and wait for Leonard to get healthy and unparalleled!"

Now the thickness of the Clippers:

Harden/Bill/Paul/Dunn/Borgdan

Leonard/Corlins/Batum/Jones Jr.

Zubac/Lopez

Even if Leonard and Bill each rest 30 games next season, they can probably keep it:

There is a ball holder (Harden/Paul) + a basket protector giant (Zubac/Lopez) at any time. Leonard rests and the front line is enough.

Always old, but most people probably know that "I've been fighting for these two years" - the mentality of veterans' last dance, Miami in 2006 and Dallas in 2011, are all the same.

Paul + Harden means to the Clippers' shooters - they are the second-third-most assisted three-pointers this century.

means for Zubac and Collins - they are the first and sixth most players in the basket this century; I personally think they are the two of the seven most empty-handed players in history (they, the 2018 Double, LeBron, Kidd, and the big ball in health).

After Paul left the Clippers, he led Alexander in the Rockets' Western Conference Finals, entered the playoffs in the Thunder, entered the Finals in the Suns, and started all 82 games with the Spurs last season. Booker of the Suns, Ayton of the Spurs, Wenban Yama said that he helped the team very much: wisdom, experience, the sense of presence of veterans, etc.

cannot expect him to take the threat of scoring stably, but when he is on the court, adjusting the offense, and feeding the ball, he is still as skillful as a god, and time will not deprive him of his intelligence.

He returns to the Clippers and Lillard returns to the Trail Blazers, both of which are return to feelings. The difference is that Lillard's contract still has room for rest, and Paul is going to retire from the Clippers.

After all, he is the number one person in the history of this terrible and difficult team.