Houston Rockets 2018-19 player recaps: Chris Paul

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports This pains me to write. It really does. Chris Paul’s influence on the game is immeasurable. His effortless manipulation of tempo and pace reveals a beauty behind the game that’s helped countless people fall in love with it (myself included). But, there’s no denying it anymore: Paul’s decline is upon us.

Lost behind his backcourt partner’s brilliant regular season, Paul’s numbers plummeted across the board this year. He posted career lows in points per game (15.6), field goal percentage (41.9), and just about every advanced stat imaginable (PER, VORP, Win Shares, you name it..). He shot below 28 percent from three in the playoffs after shooting below league…