In the weeks since the Los Angeles Clippers made the shocking decision to part ways with Chris Paul in-season, more information has come to light regarding the behind the scenes incidents that made the relationship sour, going all the way back to training camp where head coach Tyronn Lue first reportedly erred.
When the Clippers signed Chris Paul in the offseason, the expectation was that his on-court role would be minimal, and it was Tyronn Lue who reportedly empowered him after training camp, as per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
Paul was given a major role in the rotation by Lue, and he played well at first. The Clippers started the season with Kawhi Leonard hurt, and then ultimately lost Bradley Beal due to a season-ending injury. Paul was needed in the rotation. During practice, Paul reportedly routinely led the second unit to victory over the starters in embarrassing fashion. That supposedly changed Paul’s expectations with the team.
In the end, the Clippers decided that not having Paul on the roster was more beneficial than keeping him. Although he was put back into the rotation right before the decision was made to part ways, he had been benched for some time.
In total, Paul appeared in 16 games this season at a little over 14 minutes per game. He was averaging 2.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists with splits of 32.1 percent shooting from the field, 33.3 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 50 percent shooting from the free-throw line. With the exception of his 3-point percentage, the rest of those numbers were all career-lows.
Right now, the Clippers continue to way their options regarding Paul, who reportedly has plans of finishing out this season.
