Chris Paul spoke exclusively to Mirror US Sports about his thoughts on his role with the Clippers and the perspective he’s gained in his second stint with Los Angeles toward the end of his careerThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Chris Paul’s role with the Los Angeles Clippers has diminished greatly since sigining with the team(Image: GETTY)
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Chris Paul’s role with the Los Angeles Clippers is ever-changing, though it is more common to see him coming off the bench rather than the world-beater he once was.
There was a time when Paul was considered the best point guard in the NBA, and he cemented his status as one of the greats during his first stint with the Los Angeles Clippers in the early to mid-2010s. After coming close to a title in 2021 with the Phoenix Suns, the 40-year-old has not seen the same success.
Still, the star guard returned to Los Angeles, despite a guarantee that he will not see the same playing time as years past. And it is clear that playing inconsistent minutes under Ty Lue has had an impact on him, as he explained to Mirror US Sports on the same night he shared an important message regarding player activism.
“Yeah. Just try to go out and play as hard as I can in the minutes that I get. You know what I mean?” he said exclusively to Mirror US Sports after the Clippers’ 126-107 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Nov. 4. “I gotta be a lot better. I don’t know if I ever been a minus 24 in 11 minutes. You know what I mean? So, I’ll go back to the film and see what I can do better.”
Despite being in the NBA for 21 years, Paul is in uncharted waters, especially for someone of his stature. Since being drafted No. 4 overall in the 2005 NBA Draft, the 40-year-old has been a starter for most of his career, having been tabbed the No. 1 point guard by the then-New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, Clippers in his first stint, Houston Rockets, Thunder and Suns.
It was only during the 2023-24 season that Paul experienced his first taste of coming off the bench. Playing with Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors, the then-38-year-old Paul came off the bench in 40 of the 58 games he played, with his production across the board dipping as a result.
Paul started all 82 games for the San Antonio Spurs last season, marking the first time in 11 years that he played every game. Despite his numbers dipping slightly compared to his time in Golden State, Paul still showed that he was a capable starter at 39-years-old.
Despite starting every game last season for the San Antonio Spurs, Chris Paul’s minutes have diminished dramatically this year(Image: Photo by Tyler Ross/NBAE via Getty Images)
Proving himself to still be an adequate force in the lineup, Paul returned to Los Angeles, signing with the Clippers to join James Harden, his former teammate on the Rockets, and Kawhi Leonard in hopes of winning a championship, even if it meant coming off the bench.
However, not even Paul could have foreseen the Clippers’ struggles this season. Through 11 games, Los Angeles is 3-8. The Clippers have faced immense injury issues with Leonard having only played six games and offseason acquisition Bradley Beal ruled out for the rest of the year after only suiting up six times.
Paul’s play has reflected the Clippers’ lack of consistency, with the star averaging 2.3 points, 3.6 assists, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in just 12.9 minutes per game, all off the bench. The 40-year-old did not play in the Clippers’ last three games, all losses.
With Los Angeles stumbling and running out of time to put the right pieces in place, Paul said all he could do essentially is to focus on getting better. “I have to look at the film. I think that’s what I do after every game, I go back and look at the film and see how I can be better and how we can be better as a team,” he said after the aforementioned Thunder game on Nov. 4.
Get Peacock starting at $7.99
$7.99
Peacock
Looking for more to watch? Peacock has hit shows, movies, live sports, and more. You can watch popular titles like Wicked and The Traitors, along with Premier League matches and live golf all in one place. Peacock offers plans starting at $7.99 a month and you can cancel anytime.
In the end, while playing for the Clippers and helping the organization win its first championship is a goal for Paul, there is a much deeper reason why he wanted to return to Los Angeles: His family.
“I wanted to get back and play here by any means necessary,” Paul said during his introductory press conference in the summer, per the Associated Press. “I didn’t even care what the team looked like, I just wanted to be home, be here with the Clippers.”
The star also shared with Mirror US Sports a conversation he had with Gregg Popovich, who Paul was around for one season, about perspective despite the ups and downs of the NBA season. “And I think for me, that’s probably the best part of being back out here is that I get a chance to go see my family after the game,” Paul concluded.