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Chris Paul’s fit with the San Antonio Spurs was clear when it was first mentioned that the team might be interested in his services this offseason. What wasn’t always clear was how well the Spurs fit into Paul’s personal schedule.
At 39, Paul is just one NBA title away from his 19-year career, so most assumed that title contention would be at the top of his priority list when selecting his next team.
As we found out when he signed with Spurs last month, that wasn’t the most important factor.
Maybe it was his experience with the Golden State Warriors last season – he came off the bench for the first time in his career – or maybe it was injuries that limited him to just 58 games, but Paul said during his introductory press conference on Tuesday that he wanted an opportunity to play.
In this era of ring hunting, it was refreshing to hear that.
Chris Paul said playing time was more important to him than chasing a ring when he decided to join the Spurs.
More: https://t.co/IPDSlxDSrF pic.twitter.com/qXMO1WTKct
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 9, 2024
“I love nothing more than the opportunity to play, contribute and play basketball,” Paul said.
Surely he could have taken a minimum contract somewhere else – say with the Los Angeles Lakers, who were reportedly interested – to join a team that people thought was a more serious contender than the young Spurs. And there would have been absolutely nothing wrong with that. That’s what we ask of our athletes. That they actually care about the same things that we fans do, namely winning.
But Paul doesn’t want to win if it means sitting on the bench or doing the bare minimum. He’d rather be a key player on a team with a promising future that may not be quite there yet (the Spurs have +15,000 odds to win the championship at BetMGM). He’d rather help accelerate the progress of the potential next face of the NBA, Victor Wembanyama. He’d rather spend his time playing for another legend of the game, coach Gregg Popovich.
And I for one can’t wait to see what this trio does together.
“I came to basketball. I’m not a coach.”
Chris Paul on his role with the Spurs after appearing as a substitute in 40 of 58 games for the Warriors last season, averaging just 26.4 minutes per night – the fewest minutes on the court in his career. pic.twitter.com/6ShQLvOOE0
— Casey Viera (@Casey_Viera) July 9, 2024
Just because the Spurs may not be ready to compete for a championship yet doesn’t mean they can’t be better than expected and push for the playoffs. Paul will give them a chance to do that if he has something left in the tank. We saw him do that with the young Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2019-20 season and with the Phoenix Suns the following year.
For Paul, at this stage of his career, it seems more rewarding to help a young team excel than to do the bare minimum for an already strong team.
Kawhi Leonard out. Derrick White in.
(Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Kawhi Leonard has withdrawn from the U.S. team for the Paris Olympics, it was announced Wednesday. While the news was hardly surprising, it wasn’t exactly what anyone wanted to hear.
The concept of the best players in the country coming together to compete against the world is always entertaining – even if many of them are past their prime – and that wouldn’t happen without Leonard. When he’s healthy, he’s easily one of the best players in the world.
Regardless, his health has always been a part of his story, and that’s why he’s being replaced on the team by Derrick White of the NBA champion Boston Celtics. And if that sounds like a significant downgrade, it is. But that would be the case for anyone.
That doesn’t make White any less of a right fit for this team. And FTW’s Bryan Kalbrosky gives three reasons for that: White has previous experience with Team USA, he has already been in the player pool of potential options for this team, and he has the right playstyle to play alongside his more experienced teammates.
“According to dunksandthrees, the Boston guard finished in the 92nd percentile in Offensive Estimated Plus-Minues (oEPM) and the 91st percentile in Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus (dEPM) last season.
It was the fourth consecutive season in which he ranked in the 90th percentile or better in overall EPM. And he did it all while maintaining a low usage rate, suggesting he can fill his role well alongside ball-dominant teammates.
White doesn’t need the ball in his hands to make an impact, and he can play in a variety of lineups. He also probably won’t complain if he has a smaller role or limited playing time, which may not be the case for some of the other players above.”
BK makes a compelling case for why White makes sense on this team.
Related: Jaylen Brown seems upset that Derrick White was chosen over him
shoot-out
— The NBA’s new broadcast deals are reportedly finalized. Mike Sykes explains what that could mean for TNT
— Jayson Tatum, A’ja Wilson and Vince Carter are your NBA 2K25 cover athletes
— Steph Curry’s microphone during the US team’s training was good
— We may have figured out why people were betting on Bronny James being drafted No. 1… and it kind of makes sense
