The Spurs will take the court docket in lower than 4 weeks for his or her 2024-2025 season debut. This yet-to-play roster will function a number of new faces, most notable amongst them being level guard Chris Paul. Paul is a future Corridor of Famer with a formidable resume—11 All-NBA Groups, 12 All-Star appearances, and 9 All-Protection groups to associate with a handful of help and steal titles—however what he’ll carry to San Antonio can elegantly be summed up in a single very important statistic: Wins.
In a phenomenon dubbed the “Chris Paul Impact” or “CP3 Impact,” groups that add Paul rack up regular-season wins, particularly in his inaugural season with the franchise: a pattern that may be traced to his rookie yr. Of the six franchises that Paul has performed for beforehand, all of them had higher seasons the yr they added him. On common, groups enhance by 8.67 wins throughout Paul’s first yr on the roster. All in all, each workforce he joins advantages from his presence. As soon as might be a fluke, twice might be a coincidence, past that, it’s a sample.
The 2005 New Orleans Hornets received 18 video games. In 2006, after drafting Paul fourth total, they received 38 with Paul taking residence Rookie of the 12 months honors. The 2011 Los Angeles Clippers received 32 video games, they traded for Paul and received 40 the subsequent season. The pattern continued in Houston: the 2017 Rockets received 55 video games, the 2018 Rockets received 65 setting a franchise document. Phoenix had the identical consequence. The workforce improved by 17 from 2020 to 2021, setting one other franchise wins document the yr after that with 64 wins. Even the mighty Warriors final season gained two extra victories when after buying and selling for Paul.
Franchise win information have truly been one other pattern unto themselves. Along with the Houston and Phoenix information, Paul was part of each the Hornets (2008, 56 wins) and Clippers (2014, 57 wins) franchise-best seasons, turning into the one participant to be part of 4 franchise win document seasons.
Regardless of these information although, the season Paul is most happy with is the one which didn’t see a rise in wins, in Oklahoma Metropolis. Whereas the workforce technically received 5 fewer video games with Paul than the previous yr, the general win proportion was nonetheless higher (.611 in comparison with .598) as a result of a season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Remarkably, he singlehandedly led a rebuilding workforce to the playoffs towards all odds and took the Houston Rockets to seven video games.
“That yr I performed in Oklahoma Metropolis is one thing I’ll always remember,” Paul informed The Athletic’s Anthony Slater in a 2022 interview. “That was my first yr residing away from my household. The connection I acquired with my teammates and followers. The followers had been superb. I at all times hate that that season acquired lower quick due to COVID-19. That was a giant season, large summer time for me, going via issues I hadn’t gone via since I’d been within the league.”
Why that yr ought to stick out much more so for Spurs followers, is how a lot youth was on that workforce in parallel to the youth he’s now surrounded by. Oklahoma Metropolis had a yet-to-be budding younger star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who simply completed second in MVP voting. The Spurs have reigning Rookie of the 12 months Victor Wembanyama, who’s already the face of the league. Now formally within the twilight of his profession, Paul will generate wins however his veteran mentorship may be much more helpful than what he brings to the field rating. The truth that the season Paul seems to be on the fondest is one the place he had extra instructing alternatives bodes properly for the younger roster he’ll quickly play with.
Coach Gregg Popovich knew what he was doing when he introduced Paul in alongside one other NBA veteran Harrison Barnes. “Having [Paul] and Harrison at this stage of [their] careers is admittedly great for the youth we now have,” Popovich stated lately. “When a participant that you simply respect says the identical stuff that we’re saying, to a participant generally that’s much more helpful. Having them round goes to be tremendous.”
Whereas the Spurs aren’t prone to set a franchise wins document, it’s almost inexorable that they are going to exceed 22 wins, corroborating the CP3 Impact. What’s extra, is the mentorship and veteran presence he brings to a younger workforce with a blooming star. Paul can present self-discipline on and off the court docket, exhibiting this group of younger expertise how one can be a professional’s professional. He can be an actual instance of what it takes day in and time out to be high expertise within the NBA, one thing Wembanyama, Jeremy Sochan, and Stephon Citadel haven’t seen earlier than.
The pattern is evident, Chris Paul makes groups higher. Higher but, the habits and conscientiousness he instills will show to be compounding in each the quick and long run. Due to this fact the “Chris Paul Impact” can be twofold. Profitable basketball video games and instructing others how one can win basketball video games.
