Chris Paul Or Bradley Beal? Who Is The Better Fit For The Brooklyn Nets?

Since the early start to the NBA’s return, the Brooklyn Nets have been rumoured to be interested in trading for numerous players to complete their dynasty. From Bradley Beal to Jrue Holiday, the Nets have been trying to package a deal to trade for an All-Star calibre shooting guard. However, the Nets have failed to address what this team currently possesses: two superstars that can shoot the ball effectively while driving in the paint with ease. Even though Kevin Durant is arguably the most complete player in the NBA, Kyrie Irving is mainly known for his scoring ability and ball handling. With the Brooklyn Nets lacking little to no guard defenders, trading for a player like Bradley Beal could strengthen them on the offensive end but could heavily weaken them on the defensive end. 

The biggest anomaly that the Brooklyn Nets have failed to realize is that they already possess a shooting guard. With Kyrie Irving having the reputation as a shot-creator and natural scorer, here is why the Brooklyn Nets should consider moving Kyrie to the shooting guard position and trading for Chris Paul! 

When examining the skillset and arsenal of the best shooting guard in the NBA today being James Harden, he has proved to be more than just a scorer. From his impressive handles to his playmaking ability, Harden is viewed more as a point guard but is placed at the shooting guard position. Likewise, Kyrie Irving is a natural shooting guard more than anything else due to his scoring ability and lack of playmaking. Since Irving has left Cleveland, Kyrie has built the reputation of wanting to be a leader but struggled to deliver his goal. He failed to be a leader and a point guard because his skillset lacks everything that a traditional point guard does. For instance, Stephen Curry has a very similar skillset to Kyrie, but the difference between these two phenoms is that Curry is also a playmaker and a vocal leader while Kyrie is not. For instance, Irving had aspirations to be a part of the Boston Celtics for the rest of his career as he stated that it would be a dream come true if his number gets retired with the Celtics. However, the role of being a leader and a player that needs to do more than just scoring the basketball overwhelmed Irving and, as a result, left the organization and the fan base on ugly terms. If the Brooklyn Nets want to win a championship, they would need to trade for a vocal leader. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are special talents, but they are not leaders, and without a leader, an organization will not find success. 

When looking at every single championship victory in NBA history, almost every team possessed a vocal leader that was at least the second or third best player on the roster. In some cases, the best player is the vocal leader and pushed their teammates to limits that they never expected to reach. In the 2016 NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers were down 3-1 against the Golden State Warriors but never gave up due to LeBron James’s dominance and leadership on and off the court. The Cavaliers could have given up, but with just the presence of LeBron James on the court, it elevated the rest of the team and, as a result, led to a championship! Having superstars is essential for success in the NBA, but if there is no leadership, that team will be known as a playoff contender. The Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks both proved this theory as they both had terrific rosters with MVP calibre players while one being the actual MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Their downfall was, both teams lacked a vocal leader and a person that can facilitate the ball. In the modern basketball era, the point guard position is arguably the most critical position if a team wants to win a championship unless their name is LeBron James. From the Warriors dynasty to Toronto’s shocking victory last season, both of those teams had All-Star to Superstar tier point guard and were both focal points to the organization’s success! The Brooklyn Nets are in a similar situation as they are a piece away from being a dynasty, and that piece is Chris Paul! 

With OKC shocking the NBA world this season by making the playoffs and almost defeating the Houston Rockets in the first round, Chris Paul was the main reason for their success. The Thunder, on paper, lacked many pieces to reach the playoffs, but the leadership of Chris Paul managed to encourage many players on the roster, such as Shai Gilgeous Alexander and Dennis Schroder, to feel optimistic in making the playoffs. OKC would be a top-five team in the Western Conference while giving Chris Paul the best season of his career in terms of enjoyment and overall happiness. What Paul achieved this season goes beyond a trophy as he was an MVP in his own regard. If he accomplished this in Oklahoma, imagine what he could do with a team that consists of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving! 

At this point in his career, Paul is still an NBA All-Star while searching for a championship. While other organizations are interested in trading for him, Paul’s best fit would be in Brooklyn due to his role of being a playmaker, a leader, a defender, and most importantly, the final puzzle piece that would complete the Nets dynasty! If Brooklyn wants to find success, they would need to put Chris Paul as the primary leader and facilitator while sliding Kyrie Irving to a Klay Thompson role. 

The idea of Chris Paul on the Brooklyn Nets might come across as a random choice due to the Nets already possessing a “point guard”. However, with no player having a reputation of being a ball facilitator or a vocal leader on Brooklyn’s roster, the Nets could face the same fate as the Los Angeles Clippers this season, where they had every piece to win a championship except a leader! Scoring and averaging the best statistics is important, but if there is no leader to guide those statistics in an impactful way, those stats would be regarded as empty statistics. A primary example would be Russell Westbrook, a player who has averaged a triple-double for three straight seasons, but would fail to make it past the first round despite having another All-Star calibre player! Westbrook averaged the statistics and made history, but those stats never made an impact when it came to winning games. During his tenure in OKC, the Thunder had moments where they should have won a series or even a championship but would struggle to find ways to incorporate impressive statistics to winning games. Chris Paul always found ways to integrate statistics to wins but failed to remain healthy in the playoffs. In the 2018 Western Conference Finals, the Houston Rockets were a game away from defeating the Golden State Warriors and would have beaten them if Chris Paul played that game! However, with Paul being much older, his style of playing basketball has shifted as he is more content than desperate. If he can be the third or fourth option to be a leader and ball facilitator, the Brooklyn Nets will find success and arguably be the best team next season!