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The Clippers just made their most shocking move of the season, sending Chris Paul home. A brutal ending for a franchise icon and a clear sign LA’s problems run far deeper than CP3’s struggles.
Drama continues to come from the fallout of the Los Angeles Clippers sending Chris Paul home. The reports have all indicated that Paul clashed with coaching and the front office as the rationale behind General Manager Lawrence Frank sending home the legend as an unofficial punishment. Paul going multiple weeks without speaking to head coach Ty Lue was another big story to confirm the issues mounting on both sides.
However, another name has entered the story via NBA insider Chris Haynes reporting on Amazon Prime. Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy apparently confronted Paul on the team plane for changing plays and telling the players to do things that oppose the coaching staff.
Haynes said the following about a situation stemming from the Clippers game against the Dallas Mavericks:
“I was told that Jeff Van Gundy told Chris Paul listen you might have had leeway in other places to be able to change up defensive coverages, but you don’t have that leeway here.”
The Clippers sent Paul home days later due to the issues piling up with head coach Lue and assistant coach Van Gundy both butting heads with the controversial point guard.
How Chris Paul Upset Van Gundy
Haynes explained the entire situation from the end of the Mavericks game to upset Van Gundy. Kawhi Leonard was struggling to defend Klay Thompson in the final minutes and was inching towards hitting his minutes restriction. Paul told teammates to look for the switches and to step in if Leonard needed help while losing Thompson.
Van Gundy confronted Paul on the plane for giving players advice that went against the coaching staff wanting Leonard to defend Thompson one on one. The opposite instructions both being given to young players put them in a tough situation. Paul is among the most respected veterans in the league to have younger players respect his words.
The Clippers felt that Paul was influencing players to do things that the coaching staff was against. Van Gundy and Paul having a tense conversation on the team plane showed just how fast the situation was escalating to the point of no return.
Chris Paul Made Cryptic Instagram Post
The term “leeway” being used by Van Gundy to Paul led to a cryptic comment on social media from the veteran. Paul posted a screenshot defining the word “leeway” to represent what Van Gundy told him long before this story made its way to the media.
Both the Clippers front office and the coaching staff likely took exception to Paul referencing the plane incident to add another problem. Fans reading into the post were surprisingly right that it referenced more than Paul being curious about dictionary definitions.
The situation reached an ugly ending to ruin Paul’s farewell season with the franchise most associated with him. Paul hopes to continue his career, but the legend may have to go against his preseason desire to spend his final season closer to home. The Los Angeles Lakers signing Paul is the only way he’ll get to play in the L.A. area now that the Clippers have ended their relationship.
Joey Haverford Joey Haverford is a seasoned sports content writer with over 12 years of experience. He has covered the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, and professional wrestling in the sports industry. More about Joey Haverford
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