The Western Conference Finals are raging on between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. Houston Rockets fans watch on, their team eliminated two rounds earlier. It’s not surprising, as the Rockets struggled with their situation at point guard all season long. But there were opportunities for the Rockets’ point guard situation to be improved. It’s hard not to think about them when they’re showcased by the two Western Conference teams still standing.<\/p>\n
NBA legend and Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul<\/a> was a free agent last offseason. At 40 years old (now 41), he was far from the player he once was. Indeed, the 2025-26 season was expected to be something of a retirement tour<\/a> for him. As one of Paul’s former teams, and taking into account the Rockets’ point guard situation, Houston seemed like an ideal destination.<\/p>\n Eventually, though, he signed with another former team, the Los Angeles Clippers. But Paul wound up being axed from his own retirement tour for being too loud a voice in the locker room and trying to hold his teammates accountable. Essentially, while no longer a dominant force on the court, Paul was still trying to do everything in his power to help his team win games.<\/p>\n Paul’s aggressive demeanor may not have jived well with a veteran team like the Clippers. With a young team like the Rockets, that kind of voice and knowledge in the locker room could have been invaluable. It’s not hard to imagine either, since we’ve actually seen it before. We’ve seen it with both teams currently battling out the Western Conference Finals, no less.<\/p>\n Chris Paul’s stint with OKC was back in 2019-20. Paul had already left his prime, but was still a highly productive player on the court. In fact, it was a bounce-back season after his disappointing second year with the Rockets. Paul led the Thunder to the playoffs, where they lost a scrappy seven-game series to the Rockets. Crucially, though, it was a season-long point guard masterclass for future OKC superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a>. SGA<\/a> just won his second straight MVP award and may not be waiting long to receive a second straight Finals MVP award as well.<\/p>\n Of course, the Rockets don’t have a player as talented as SGA on their roster (besides a 37-year-old Kevin Durant<\/a>). But they do have promising young guards in Amen Thompson<\/a> and Reed Sheppard<\/a>. Alongside point center Alperen Sengun<\/a>, they held down the Rockets’ point guard position this season. It was a bumpy ride, but undoubtedly a good experience for their long-term development. Both saw significant improvements as ball handlers from 2024-25. Still, a season of tutelage from a likely top-five point guard of all time could have helped their development even more.<\/p>\nFormer Rockets Point Guard Turned Tutor<\/h3>\n