Chris Paul, ahead of what is expected to be his final season in the NBA, has returned to the Los Angeles Clippers, who have assembled a squad deemed by most to be capable of competing for the Championship. The only thing that the community feels could turn out to be a weakness is their combined old age, with vets leading the line. Paul, 40, recently shared his thoughts on the matter.
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The Clippers have star players and future Hall of Famers like Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Nicolas Batum, and Brook Lopez. The problem, however, is that they’re 34, 36, 37, and 37 years old respectively. And that’s just naming some of them. In total, they have six players with more than 13 years of experience, which has led to jokes online and fans calling the team ‘Unction’.
Paul heard about this nickname almost immediately after arriving at Intuit Dome over the summer. He embraced the ‘unc’ role and said he’s a fan of the mix of experience and youth the Clippers have. Now, he has taken it a step further and explained the strengths they possess as a unit.
“When you’re in the locker room, everybody can say whatever they want on the outside,” CP3 said on The Underground Lounge. “It’s what you say on the inside. So, the dopest part about our team is, age or whatever, it’s just that we’ve got so many different ways in which we can play.”
Further adding about the role the veterans on the roster have played over the years, Paul said, “That’s up to us to not really just say it, but do it. We got Brad [Bradley Beal] who we know is a bucket. We got JH, Kawhi, Brooke, all these different guys…”
Paul feels that if everyone at the Clippers does their job to perfection, there’s a real chance for them to be a threat in the Western Conference this season.
It’s a valid theory, because after all, the Clippers look solid despite their age. Last season, despite Kawhi missing a huge portion of the season, they reached the 50-win mark in the regular season, and came very close to defeating the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, bowing out in seven games.
Plus, the Clippers are not the only old team in the NBA. Even the Golden State Warriors, led by the Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler trio, are aging. While not all veteran-heavy teams succeed, the presence of players who have proven themselves as serial winners in the past always makes them a threat.
That’s what Paul is also banking on, ahead of what many expect will be his final season in the NBA.
