The saddest thing about David Stern’s decision to defy logic and reject the three-team blockbuster that would have sent Chris Paul to Los Angeles is that the outrage directed towards Stern, justified as it was, made it very convenient for Chris Paul to emerge from this situation as a sympathetic nice guy who’s just trying to play the game the right way, and to play on a winner after suffering from years of mismanagement as a part of the Hornets organization.

While prior to the lockout I felt this way, Paul’s subsequent trade demands that led up to the consummation of the currently dead deal were infuriating for any fan of basketball because of how nonsensical his rationale regarding where he would sign a contract extension had become.

The fact that CP3 was apparently unwilling to sign a contract extension was absurd in and of itself. Paul would have increased the offensive contributions from the Big Three this season, especially for the sweet-stroking spot-up shooting Allen, who would pick his spot on the floor and slice through opponents’ perimeter defense. Meanwhile a point guard capable of driving into the paint and taking a shot from pretty much anywhere on the court would significantly hamper teams’ ability to double team Pierce the way they are able to with Rondo on the court. And obviously, the same man who made Emeka Okafor and Tyson Chandler look like dominant offensive players through the alley-oop would provide Kevin Garnett with career scoring numbers in a Celtics uniform.

Meanwhile, Paul’s acquisition adds offensive firepower without sacrificing defense, as Paul has proven to be a comparable defender to any point guard in the league. And we all know just how good Boston’s team defense has been. The trade for Brandon Bass should increase Boston’s dismal rebounding numbers, but Paul also manages to grab his fair share of long-distance rebounds which can lead to much-needed transition buckets. Sure, there was a lack of serious depth at most positions, but last season’s Miami Heat demonstrated that front court depth isn’t a necessity to advance deep into the postseason.

And with Garnett and Allen set to come off the books next season, you’re telling me Ainge wouldn’t have had the ability to retool and create a new assembly of top tier talent to surround Pierce and Paul? As much as it pains me to say it as a Knicks fan, Danny Ainge knows what he’s doing, knows how to maneuver the draft, and would have been ready to make the team more youthful and dynamic next season, creating a team that would not only be able to compete in the immediate season, but for at least three-four seasons afterwards.

But worse than refusing to sign a contract extension with a clear-cut championship contender in Boston, Paul made his mandate loud and clear: he had a handpicked selection of teams he wanted to play for, and a requirement for those teams was apparently a player whom he shared a close relationship with (or at least the ability to get such a player). The list was essentially down to five teams (and players): the New York Knicks (Carmelo Anthony), the Orlando Magic (Dwight Howard), the Los Angeles Lakers (Kobe Bryant), the Los Angeles Clippers (Blake Griffin), and the Golden State Warriors (at the time, Paul hinted that he wanted them to sign Tyson Chandler).

I don’t think it needs to be said that choosing a team based on your relationship with a second all-star player is a very flawed way to pick a team. He’s not participating in a friendly tea party; he’s competing for an NBA Championship, and to compete you need to be surrounded by the right pieces, and not be paired up with your best friend or someone you are buddies with in the off-season. You’re all but asking to get eliminated in the first or second round of the playoffs so that you can go fishing and golfing with this buddy of yours, and not endure the ups and downs of a grueling playoff campaign that requires strong individual leadership and resilience to endure and reach the pinnacle.

If anything, by making these very specific team demands, Paul has proven that as a player he lacks this resilience and sense of leadership, and at this point in his career, is willing to latch onto another star player for comfort. That is a sign of a player who doesn’t have the drive to win a championship. Perhaps that’s why those talented Hornets teams earlier in the 2000s never made it past the second round of postseason play.

At the end of the day, maybe Chris Paul is already on the team that is perfect for him. After all, New Orleans’s backup point guard, Jarrett Jack, has been Paul’s friend since they were both twelve-years old. At this point, their chemistry should be too close for CP3 to break that up...