Veteran point guard Chris Paul was often the game-changing element that led to success for most of the teams he played for in the NBA. And since he’s going to play for the San Antonio Spurs next season, fans of the franchise are excited to see what he’ll bring to the table.
Drafted fourth overall by the New Orleans Hornets in 2005, Paul quickly emerged as one of the league’s premier point guards. During his early seasons with the Hornets, Paul demonstrated his playmaking prowess, leading the league in assists in 2008 and 2009.
Paul’s rise to stardom came from 2007 to 2011, as he guided the Hornets to consistent playoff appearances. He was named an All-Star four times during this stretch and earned All-NBA First Team honors in 2008, 2012, 2013, and 2014. In 2011, the point guard was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, where he helped form the Lob City era alongside Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. The Clippers found regular season success but were plagued by playoff disappointments.
After stints with the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder, Paul joined the Phoenix Suns in 2020. He led the team to the 2021 NBA Finals, the first of his career. In 2021-22, Paul guided the Suns to a franchise-record 64 wins. Most recently, he played for the Golden State Warriors during the previous season before signing recently with San Antonio as a free agent.
Epic Chris Paul Stat That Will Have San Antonio Spurs Fans Excited For Next Season
It’s no secret Paul has been around and played for a lot of teams throughout his stellar career. What’s interesting, though, is how he has improved those teams as soon as he started playing for them. This stat can be seen in an image shared by ClutchPoints on X.
Chris Paul has made a significant impact on winning in his first year with a new team since entering the NBA in 2005:
New Orleans Hornets:
18-64 (.220) 👉 38-44 (.463)LA Clippers:
32-50 (.390) 👉 40-26 (.606)Houston Rockets:
55-27 (.671) 👉 65-17 (.793)OKC Thunder:
49-33… pic.twitter.com/M0L7vfAIkY— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 2, 2024
As it stands, every team Paul has played for improved whenever he was on the floor. His unique set of skills, which includes elite playmaking, has raised the floor of those squads and made them all better.
With Paul now playing alongside French star Victor Wembanyama and under head coach Greg Popovich, there’s no reason the Spurs can’t improve from their record last year. If all goes well, they can make the jump from bottom dwellers to playoff contenders in the West.
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