In a chat with the media ahead of the Spurs’ game tonight, Chris Paul opened up on the challenges his group has faced over the past few months. Paul revealed that it’s been tough for the Spurs given their recent health scares involving Gregg Popovich and Victor Wembanyama.
“It’s been extremely tough, to say the least. Especially with this organization and how they put everything into perspective,” said Paul via TNT. “The Pop situation, knowing what he means to the league. Vic and him playing in his first All-Star game. We know we have a job to do but just like anybody, we worry about our people.”
With Victor Wembanyama, Chris Paul, and De’Aaron Fox, the Spurs had dreams of competing for the playoffs in the West and it would have been a massive improvement after finishing with a 22-60 record last season.
Despite the growth the Spurs have shown as a team, however, they are not in a good place right now between an uncertain future, another wasted season, and health concerns for important people on the team: Gregg Popovich and Victor Wembanyama.
While the Spurs are 12th in the West (23-29), they are still 3.5 games back from the 10th seed and they won’t have their star player (Victor) for the rest of the season. After being diagnosed with blood clots, Wembanyama is out for the rest of the 2024-25 campaign and it has killed any hope of making a playoff run. It has also stunted his growth and development as a player.
While the Spurs claim they have no concerns about Victor’s long-term health, it’s never a good sign to miss half of the NBA season at 21 years old. By the time he comes back, the Spurs might be a completely different team and they’ll have to develop that chemistry all over again.
Of course, there’s also the situation with head coach Gregg Popovich. After suffering a stroke in November, Pop is tackling rehab like a champ and is pushing through to be available for his team. In the meantime, he’s tasked Mitch Johnson to lead the locker room in his absence.
At 23-29, the Spurs are doing everything they can to push through all the drama but it likely won’t be enough to make any significant run. Without Popovich and Wembanyama, this season is effectively a wash for the Spurs and it’s got to be hard for the players that are left.
At 39 years old, Chris Paul knew he probably wasn’t going to win a title with the Spurs but he was at least hoping to mentor Victor and help his team reach the peak of their potential. Until Wemby’s return, Paul is going to do his part to help the Spurs grow as a team and he’s going to do everything he can to support his teammates and coaches every step of the way.
With averages of 9.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game this season, Chris is not the star he used to be but he’s making an impact for the Spurs and leading by example with his words, actions, and work ethic throughout the season.
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