The San Antonio Spurs needed veteran talent and NBA Free Agency just handed them probably the greatest available mentor in the league. Victor Wembanyama is great but having Chris Paul around him to help in his development will do wonders. There are obviously a lot of big teams that may have wanted the Point God but Gregg Popovich only coaches for one squad. He was the biggest reason why the veteran headed to Texas.
The Spurs have signed Chris Paul to an $11 million deal that spans one season, per Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. It was a big shock for most avid spectators of NBA Free Agency, largely because he was just waived by the Golden State Warriors on the same day as the transaction.
Nonetheless, Paul is not new to switching squads instantaneously after a season. He did the same during his Oklahoma City Thunder, and Phoenix Suns moves anyway. What intrigued most of the Spurs faithful was the reason why the Point God signed to the Victor Wembanyama-led squad.
Apparently, Gregg Popovich had a conversation with Paul when NBA Free Agency started. The head honcho laid out what the Spurs system looked like and how they ran things. Paul was then sold on the culture that they had despite being filled with young guns who had yet to play postseason basketball. A big clincher in the deal was also Victor Wembanyama's development. The Point God wanted to be a key part of his development starting in his second year.
Now, Paul is very eager to get everything started within the Spurs system. A big motivator for him is being able to prove that he is still one of the most elite guards in the league despite his so-so campaign with the Golden State Warriors. Will he fit right in?
How does Chris Paul solve the Spurs equation?
For one, veteran acumen is the most necessary skill when it comes to a player of his age. Availability and durability might no longer be there a lot due to his aging but the wisdom he can impart will be very valuable. The Spurs have yet to experience a veteran leader of Paul's caliber. All of that mixed with Gregg Popovich's insane schemes and disciplinarian demeanor would mean great things for the Spurs.
Paul's production is also not that bad if they choose to play him. He played 58 games for the Warriors and was fairly decent given that he was only allowed to play a career-low 26.4 minutes a contest. His shots from all three levels of the floor saw the bottom of the net 44.1% of the time. This along with his 37.1% three-point percentage helped him notch 9.2 points per game.
His assist numbers are also still huge. Paul managed to drop 6.8 of them within the Warriors system. Imagine him reverting back to his Lob City Los Angeles Clippers days and throwing the ball to Wembanyama. Those numbers are surely going to be far higher in the coming season.
A lot of good things are ahead for the Spurs.
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