According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the leadership style of veteran point guard Chris Paul has been accepted nicely by the San Antonio Spurs despite some initial “uncertainty” within the organization regarding the topic.
“In speaking to folks there, bringing in Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes, they obviously had their reasons why they wanted that veteran presence there,” Windhorst began.
“… There was some uncertainty I would say — I wouldn’t say it was concern — but there was some wonder from the Spurs. How were all these young guys gonna adapt to dealing with these two veterans who come in and — to put it kindly — Chris Paul has a big voice on teams that he’s on.
“… With Victor [Wembanyama] leading the way, the acceptance of Chris Paul’s leadership technique…has gone very well in San Antonio, better than they thought, I am told.”
Paul is one of the oldest players in the NBA at 39 years old, and he’s about to begin his 20th NBA season. During his time in the league, he has earned a reputation as someone who is often demanding of his teammates and isn’t afraid of being aggressive.
Adding that type of player to a young roster usually goes one of two ways, but it sounds like things have gone well so far for Paul in San Antonio.
There has been a lot of hype surrounding the duo that Paul will form with Wembanyama, a rising superstar. The Spurs aren’t likely to magically enter the championship conversation this season, but they certainly appear to be in good shape to improve over their 2023-24 campaign, when they won just 22 games.
Paul remains a strong playmaker despite the fact that his best years are seemingly behind him. Even while getting a career-low 26.4 minutes per game last season with the Golden State Warriors, he was still able to average 6.8 assists per contest.
His playmaking abilities should do wonders for Wembanyama, who is coming off a stellar rookie season. The big man averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.6 blocks per game in his debut campaign en route to Rookie of the Year honors.
Wembanyama more than lived up to the hype that surrounded him as he entered the league, and he’ll now look to take another step forward in his sophomore season. The hope is certainly that Paul will help him achieve that goal.
While Paul, a 12-time All-Star, might not be in position to win his first NBA championship this season, he is certainly in position to make a major impact on an organization that has a very bright future.
