“I’ve been in the NBA for more than half of my life, which is a blessing. But these years you do not get back with your kids, with your family,” CP said. While assessing his next landing spot during free agency, staying close to home was Chris Paul’s biggest priority. That’s why he picked Clippers over several interested suitors, including Milwaukee and Dallas. But was it the right move by the LA franchise?
Sure, CP’s addition gives them another elite floor general, who is expected to lead the second unit. “Chris will help fortify our backcourt with his exceptional ballhandling, playmaking, and shooting. He is joining us as a reserve point guard and is excited to fill whatever role Lue asks him to play,” Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank shared. With Paul taking over this responsibility, two key players’ roles could diminish significantly: Kris Dunn and Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Per media veteran Rob Mahoney, “Well, they had a painful need for just like somebody who could do a little bit more orchestration than Kris Dunn is qualified to do… Bogdan Bogdanovic is just getting buried further and further in the depth chart, I guess behind these qualified guards who are being brought in to kind of upstage him.”
Both Dunn and Bogdanovic played an important role in helping the Clippers win 50 games last season. As the point guard, Dunn averaged 6.4 points and nearly three assists. But where he truly made an impact was his elite defense, as he got nearly two steals on a nightly basis. Unfortunately, Dunn could not maintain that form in the playoffs, as his numbers dipped to 1.3 assists and a little over one steal.
Meanwhile, Bogdan also had a solid regular season, averaging 11.4 points and over three dimes. But he, too, struggled in the Nuggets series. Now that Chris, who is a veteran playmaker with years of playoff experience, is expected to be one of the lead facilitators, Dunn and Bogdan’s roles could be in serious jeopardy. Amid the stacked roster, it will be hard for them to find valuable minutes in Coach Lue’s rotation. And that could backfire on the Clippers.
Veteran insider reveals Clippers’ massive trade-off after signing Chris Paul
Well, Mahoney is confident that CP will elevate the LA team’s offense and end the struggles they faced last year. “You really felt it in this kind of stickiest moments of the playoffs, like they just need like one more person who can actually handle. One more person who can handle the logistics of this team,” he noted. So far, every team Chris Paul has gone to, he has made them better.
He turned the Suns from a non-playoff team to the Western Conference champs in his debut season in Phoenix. Even last year, he turned the Spurs from a 22-win to a 34-win team. Surely, Ballmer would be expecting him to have the same impact in LA.
Dec 3, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) against the Phoenix Suns during an NBA Cup game at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
However, Paul’s offensive prowess comes at a price. Along with Dunn and Bogdanovic’s role diminishing, Mahoney also expects Derrick Jones Jr. to take a haircut due to Bradley Beal’s addition. That takes away one of the Clippers’ biggest attributes—defense. “They’re also diluting what made them a 50-win team last season, which was their defense… Those three guys triangulated one of the best defenses in the league. Two of those guys are now dramatically less important than they used to be. What does that do to the identity of this team?” Mahoney questioned.
Looks like this is the trade-off Clippers have accepted to make. While Paul and Beal’s addition makes them lethal on offense, it could leave a glaring void on the defensive end. And this major revamp could hurt their playoff bid despite the roster looking stacked on paper. Well, this is likely to be CP’s final chance at winning that elusive title as he recently hinted at a potential retirement after next season. So, he will do everything he can to make this reunion work despite the glaring concerns.
Do you think Paul’s addition is a blessing or a curse for the Clippers?
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