The Los Angeles Clippers made the surprising decision to part ways with Chris Paul. Paul had announced earlier this year that this was going to be his final NBA season. He is most known as a Clipper, so this was supposed to be a nice final year.
Instead, it has been a year full of turmoil with Paul. He hasn’t been in the rotation, and reports have come out that he wasn’t on speaking terms with head coach Ty Lue. So now the Clippers have decided to send Paul away and remove him from the team.
James Harden has played with Paul in two different locations. He was a teammate of his in Houston, as well. Harden was asked about what he thought about the Paul situation, and it sounded like he was just as shocked as fans were.
GettyJames Harden walks down the court. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Clippers Guard James Harden Reacts to Chris Paul Situation
Harden talked about the Paul situation after a game against the Hawks.
“I’m just as confused and shocked as you guys, the world. Definitely surprised me. But not just Chris, it’s a lot that we were dealing with. But that is out of my hands. I got to focus on what I got to focus on and what I can control. I guess the front office felt that was the best decision for the organization.”
Harden almost won a championship with Paul while they were playing with the Rockets. Paul is in a different stage of his career at this point, so he is not the same force he was then. It was reported that Paul’s leadership style clashed with the rest of the team.
Ty Lue talked about the Paul situation prior to the game against the Hawks.
“I don’t think it necessarily helped our team. I mean, I don’t think the reason why we’re 5-16 is because of CP’s play. I just think that it wasn’t a good fit for what he was looking for. Do I want to see CP go out like this? No, I have a lot of respect for him. He’s been a friend of mine over the years, and you don’t want to see a great go out like this.”
GettyChris Paul runs down the court. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Chris Paul’s Next Steps Are Unclear
At this point, the next steps for Paul are unclear. He will have to find another team to play with if he doesn’t want to end his basketball career earlier than expected. Paul is still someone who can help a veteran team that needs a backup point guard.
This season, Paul is putting up the worst numbers of his career. He hasn’t been given an opportunity for much playing time. Paul’s advanced numbers are poor, too. A young, up-and-coming team could be interested in having his veteran presence around.
The Clippers currently sit 13th in the Western Conference standings. It’s unlikely that pushing Paul out will be the difference between becoming a playoff team and staying in the lottery.
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