Why Chris Paul joining Spurs doesn't signal the end of his championship window

Believe it or not, the 2024-25 NBA season tips off in less than two weeks. As usual in the NBA, intriguing storylines are floating all over. One of them involves future first-ballot Hall of Famer, Chris Paul. With Paul on another new team to start the season, it begs the question of whether his title-chasing days are officially done.

Paul has always been a leader on the court no matter where he plays, but now it’s like he’s stepping into a primary mentor role landing in San Antonio over the summer. He’ll be teaming with second-year player and reigning Rookie of the Year, Victor Wembanyama.

Expectations

While Wembanyama is expected to be "that dude" soon, he’s still got some maturing to do on the court. That’s to say he wasn’t phenomenal last year because he was but not quite where he’s expected to be in the coming years. But in Wembanyama’s rookie campaign, he averaged 21.4 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, taking home All-Rookie, All-Defensive and Rookie of the Year.

Now in his second season, Wembanyama teams with Paul, who has declined some but is still one of the sharpest basketball minds in the NBA. That includes current/former players, coaches and executives. Regardless of what’s thought or been said about Paul, it’s hard to deny his basketball IQ, even if he has slowed a bit physically.

It’s a valid question, given Paul’s age. He’ll be 40 in May. Many thought last year in Golden State would be Paul’s last run at that ever-elusive NBA championship, but that entire season with the Warriors turned into a bust. Paul in Golden State and playing with Stephen Curry never felt right.

Enter the Spurs, who signed Paul to a one-year deal over the summer. On the surface, Paul feels like the perfect player to help Wembanyama grow into what everyone feels could be the next face of the Association. But looking a little deeper, the CP3-led Spurs could end up fighting for playoff position in the Western Conference. 

That CP3 magic

Go back just a few years to 2019-20 when the Covid-19 pandemic shortened (or elongated) the season when Paul was with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Paul led that Thunder team to the fifth seed in the west and pushed the fourth-seeded Houston Rockets, led by James Harden and Russell Westbrook to seven games. That team wasn’t even expected to make the playoffs let alone finish fifth out west.

Although Paul was younger, he’s in a similar situation again but this time he’ll be playing with the guy regarded as the “next big thing,” by the world. In fairness, that Thunder team Paul played on did include an incredibly young Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but this was before he broke out to become the 30-plus point-per-night individual we’ve come to know and love.

Even if this is just a one-year experiment like OKC, that could be all that’s needed to help Wembanyama and this organization excel to the next level. Although, the Spurs do have a championship pedigree, unlike the Thunder. Come April we could look at the standings in shock because the Spurs are actually in the playoff mix.

The Spurs have a nice mix of young and veteran players like Paul and Harrison Barnes. Youngsters like Wembanyama, Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson and others should all be better pros after this season no matter how far the team goes. And don’t be surprised if Paul can spark a fire under this squad and surprise us.