The San Antonio Spurs are rounding the corner amid Victor Wembanyama’s star turn.
They’re a play-in team if the season ended today. It’s not all because of the second-year big man, but he’s been elite at both ends of the floor, especially as of late. There’s plenty for the Spurs to clean up. Nonetheless, there might be more good than bad for first the time in a long time.
Chris Paul’s Future With Spurs Unclear
With the team now somewhere between rebuilding and contending, there’s now interest in whether they’ll keep their most grizzled veteran: 39-year-old point guard Chris Paul. Paul, whose on-off numbers are second only to Wembanyama’s for the Spurs, is currently in his 20th season. When asked by L’EQUIPE journalist Maxime Aubin if he’d be returning to San Antonio next season, Spurs acting head coach Mitch Johnson was diplomatic.
“I’m not sure I have the liberty to answer that one,” he says. “He’s been excellent for us. I wish he had been here for the last 20 years.”
Asked by @MaximeAubin1 about CP returning next season, Mitch Johnson said, “I’m not sure I have the liberty to answer that one. He’s been excellent for us. I wish he had been here for the last 20 years…Tutelage has been strong, and it has been suffocating in the best way…”
— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) December 27, 2024
A player who exudes a coach’s mentality, Paul’s mentorship of the Spurs’ young players has certainly been invaluable. Even Tre Jones, whose minutes were likely the most impacted by his signing, has praised the veteran for imparting knowledge. If the team wants Paul back because of his intangibles, there could be a spot on the bench for him next season.
The Tre Jones Problem
Paul isn’t just dropping gems for the locker room, he’s dropping dimes as well.
One of the most intelligent players in the NBA, his savviness extends far beyond his passing ability, as he understands the game inside the game. As evidenced by his assists numbers, he’s doing a great job finding his teammates in the right spot. Though a simple concept, the Spurs’ inability to properly process situations or execute if they did was a major issue in 2023-24.
Chris Paul lobs it up to Wemby for the 12,000th assist of his career 🙌 pic.twitter.com/aY3BTbdzcF
— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 16, 2024
With that being said, if Jones was a better scoring threat, San Antonio probably would’ve kept Jones in the rotation these last two seasons. That’s not to say Paul is vying for the scoring title. The five-time assist leader is averaging a modest 9.6 points per game this season. However, he’s shooting 36.4 percent from three (where 64.5 percent of his field goal attempts are coming).
For comparison, Jones is shooting just 21.4 percent from deep this season. Despite being 6-foot-1, he gets more efficient the closer he gets to the rim. However, with San Antonio ranking eighth in average three-point attempts (39.5), he’s not quite a fit for their offensive philosophy.
In LeBron James’s Shadow
Paul’s birthday falls just five months after that of Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, who has dominated for more than two decades. The Wake Forest product has been asked about retirement with increasingly frequency over the years. Nonetheless, it’s a testament to James’s larger than life stature that Paul’s age and storied career falls in his shadow. As much as James’s inevitable end is being discussed, Paul is also among the generation of NBA stars who are passing the torch.
The No. 4 pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, Paul has racked up 49,654 minutes thus far in his 20-year career. To put that in perspective, a plane could fly around the world 19 times and still not have been in the sky as long as he’s been on an NBA court.
At this point of his career, he does still love the grind but he has other focuses too. His children are only getting older and he’d like to spend more time with them. He’s interested in becoming part of an NBA ownership team, with Las Vegas looking like an attractive investment.
Paul will likely play at least one more season. Whether he would choose the Spurs if he had his way is worth wondering though. The magnitude of the situation could lead to him making a last ditch effort to win for a ring.
Riding into the sunset while guiding one of the NBA’s newest young stars is a special opportunity. However, the possibility of winning a championship for the first time in his career Paul might just sound better.
