San Antonio Spurs’ marquee offseason signing was 40-year-old Chris Paul, one of the best veteran point guards in the NBA and someone who might be the perfect pass-first guard for their generational center, Victor Wembanyama. Paul is clearly excited to play against Wemby, with Paul saying that there’s no ceiling to what Wemby may develop into as a player.
“I don’t think he has one (a ceiling). I’ve said this before, he’s one of those guys that after the game this past year we talked about how weird it was to guard him, to try and shoot over him, but it shows you how the game is growing. There’s an appreciation thing from the American players to the European players.”
Paul reflected on the incredible international growth of the game, particularly noticing the Greek national team with Vassilis Spanoulis as their head coach, someone Paul played against in the NBA.
“I was watching the Greece game the other day and I saw Spanoulis as the coach. I’ve played long enough to remember when he was playing. There are NBA plays named after him, and now he’s coaching the Greek national team. It’s dope to see how the game continues to grow and shows that people like my kids have to keep getting better.”
.@ColinCowherd: What's Wemby's ceiling?@CP3: I don't think he has one… He's one of those guys that after the game this past year we talked about how weird it was to guard him. pic.twitter.com/Ga9lwoglQf
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) July 29, 2024
Wembanyama wrapped up a historic rookie season, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game, while becoming the first rookie to be named to the All-Defensive First Team and be a DPOY finalist, along with becoming only the sixth unanimous Rookie of the Year winner.
Paul averaged a modest 9.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.8 assists with the Warriors last season. His scoring touch seems to have disappeared with age, but there’s still no floor general in the NBA better than Paul.
Given the frustrations Spurs fans felt watching Jeremy Sochan and Tre Jones be their point guards, Paul should dramatically alter the quality of looks Wemby gets next season. His addition should also help young stars such as Devin Vassell.
Patty Mills Thinks Wembanyama Will Win A Lot Of Titles In San Antonio
Paul made it clear that a ceiling cannot contain Wembanyama’s talent, but former Spurs point guard and 2014 champion Patty Mills thinks Wembanyama will definitely add more banners to the rafters in San Antonio.
“It feels like this is in a good place for the future and growth of the San Antonio Spurs. You can only imagine the amount of detailed work going into him on the floor for him to develop his game in the ways that he can. He’s gonna be another exciting person to watch, how his game develops, and hopefully, there will be more banners hanging up in the rafters because of him.”
Wembanyama might be one of the greatest basketball prospects in a generation or maybe even a lifetime, but championship success is never guaranteed in the NBA. Not only does Wembanyama need to stay healthy for a whole season, but he also has to hope that the team’s key contributors stay healthy and compete in the playoffs.
Mills may expect titles from Wembanyama, but we need to see more in terms of what’s sustainable for the franchise and the player. Think Chris Paul will help them figure all of that out sooner.
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