After a forgettable 2023-24 campaign with the Golden State Warriors, it was rumored that Chris Paul would part ways with the franchise. However, many expected him to join a title contender, since he has no championship in his illustrious career. Contrary to expectations, Paul is on the cusp of entering into a rebuilding situation with the San Antonio Spurs. For many analysts, including Gilbert Arenas, this is incredible news as Victor Wembanyama will have someone who can feed him the ball from every angle.
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On his show Gil’s Arena, the 3x All-Star stated how the Spurs had a haphazard offensive style last season. With Paul’s addition, they will have a floor general who can define how they can run their sets which will immensely help their offensive play.
For Arenas, this ability of CP3 will enable the Spurs to become at least a borderline play-in team. Last season, the Spurs finished as the 14th seed with 22 wins. Agent Zero expects them to improve by at least 15 wins to have a shot at a postseason berth,
“I like it for the team[Spurs] because of how Chris Paul plays. Everything is controlled so it’ll stop all that bullsh* they were doing just all them random plays. So I expect them to be in that 10/11 realm.”
He argued that Paul’s track record proves that he helps improve struggling squads. When he was a rookie, in the 2005-06 season, he helped the New Orleans Hornets improve from 18 wins to 35 wins as they made it to the playoffs regularly after his entry.
Apart from that, recently, when he joined the Oklahoma City Thunder before the 2019-20 season, he ensured they remain a playoff squad even after the departure of Russell Westbrook. Additionally, the Gil’s Arena crew talked about the impact Paul can have on the current Spurs roster makeup.
They agreed that the squad needed a vet like Paul who could teach them how to sustain a high level of play at the NBA level. Additionally, Wembanyama will see the ball in his hands more, making him an even bigger threat. However, since CP3 is on the brink of turning 40 years old, his play has slipped.
During the 2023-24 season, he put up less than 10 points per game for the first time, in his career, as he played the fewest minutes of his career. But there was one big difference. With the Warriors, he came off the bench as a backup to Stephen Curry while with the Spurs, he is going to be a starter. Thus, his numbers might improve compared to last season which will bode well for Wemby and Co.
