This offseason, NBA veteran point guard Chris Paul opted to return to his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers. While it was expected that the 40-year-old wouldn’t have a significant role in the rotation, his current position appears to be far worse.
After being given three consecutive DNPs along with a series of poor performances to start the season, it would seem like Chris Paul’s impressive NBA career might be nearing its end.
After eight appearances in the 2025-26 season, Paul is averaging 2.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game on 24.0% shooting from the field. When considering his career averages of 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 9.2 assists per game on 46.9% shooting from the field and 36.9% from three-point range, watching Paul’s production decline at this rate is disheartening.
His last appearance was against his former team, the Phoenix Suns, on Nov. 5. Given that the Clippers came away with a 115-102 loss, Paul’s performance of two points, two rebounds, and two assists in 10 minutes seemed much worse.
While the decision to keep Chris Paul out of the rotation may have been to help the Clippers improve, the results haven’t been promising for Los Angeles. Even in Paul’s absence, the Clippers’ losing streak has grown to six.
With a 3-8 record, Los Angeles is far from being in the position they had hoped to be in. With Paul falling out of the rotation, Bradley Beal undergoing a season-ending surgery, and Kawhi Leonard’s prolonged absence, the problems seem to be piling up for Los Angeles.
Tyronn Lue Reveals Chris Paul’s True Role
Ultimately, the decision to sideline Chris Paul was made by Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue. While Lue appeared wary of his decision to bench Paul for the game against the Denver Nuggets, he also revealed his expectations for the guard and his true role.
“Just his leadership,” Lue stated. “Talking to the guys, talking to the coaches of what he sees, what we can do better. Before we acquired, we told him he wasn’t gonna be an every-night guy. He understood that.”
“He has so much knowledge and he’s been around the game so long that he can help us in other ways to win.”
In light of Lue’s statement, it would appear that Chris Paul has effectively been reduced to an assistant coach. Although such a decision could have merit, given the guard’s intelligence and experience, it would also seem to underutilize his on-court skills to a great extent.
An argument could be made that Paul’s limited production may not move the needle as much for the Clippers. But when considering that they are missing a significant number of rotation players, his veteran leadership could still help bring some stability, at least to the second unit.
Given their six-game losing streak, Los Angeles seems to be spiralling out of control early in the season. With a need to right the ship, the Clippers will look to come away with a win in their upcoming game against the Dallas Mavericks.
