CP3 officially retiring after season

[Moranis]

No idea if this is true, but allegedly the team was talking about load management and Paul called Kawhi the load they were managing. Lockerroom went dead silent for luke 10 seconds until Kawhi got up and walked out without saying a word.  That was a couple hours before Paul was cut.  Again I have no idea if that report is true, but if so it is pretty funny.

[SHAQATTACK]

Good

[slightly biased bias fan]

For me, Chris Paul had the talent and IQ to be the greatest point guard of all time. Unfortunately he did not have the personality to match.

In my opinion, Paul was never a real leader on any teams he played for, he was more of a dictator. Paul always thought he was smarter than everyone (including his coaches) and when his teams failed in the playoffs, it was never his fault.

This is why I have CP3 behind John Stockton in the all time point guard rankings. Stockton did what was best for his team, not his individual statistics. Stockton actually took pay cuts to keep guys on his team, Chris Paul would never fathom doing something like that.

[Vermont Green]

No idea if this is true, but allegedly the team was talking about load management and Paul called Kawhi the load they were managing. Lockerroom went dead silent for luke 10 seconds until Kawhi got up and walked out without saying a word.  That was a couple hours before Paul was cut.  Again I have no idea if that report is true, but if so it is pretty funny.

This is interesting.  Sounds plausible.  Kawhi has always been the kind of player that needed to do his own thing and not be called out for it.  If true, not the right thing for Chris Paul to do.  Even if there were questions about Leonard's injuries in the past, there is no doubt at this point that he needs to be managed.  It isn't his fault.

I wonder if LAL will take a look at Chris Paul.  That might be the one locker room that could absorb his personality and benefit from his presence on the court.

[Yuckabuck33]

Paul was caught on video calling out Kawhi for lazy (and low BBIQ) defense, and in this case he wasn't wrong.

[Phantom255x]

So CP3 annoys me, but he wasn't wrong at all calling out Kawhi, the coaches, etc. That Clippers team is massively underachieving and Kawhi doesn't care and it seems like Lue doesn't either. Isn't Ty Lue supposed to be this Spo or Pop-level coach or close to it? How is he not getting much out of this group, they still have talent. I know they traded Powell and replaced him with Beal which clearly didn't work but they have talent and are still losing to the atrocious teams too

[SparzWizard]

While CP3 was wrong to overstep at times, but they mostly brought him in as a vet presence. And as a veteran he does vet things. If the Clippers couldn't handle his feedback to players then they're more of a joke than I thought.

And Tyronn Lue couldn't coach his way out a paper bag without LeBron and special talents on his team. And it was mostly LeBron calling the shots during his Cleveland tenure.

[Who]

For me, Chris Paul had the talent and IQ to be the greatest point guard of all time. Unfortunately he did not have the personality to match.

In my opinion, Paul was never a real leader on any teams he played for, he was more of a dictator. Paul always thought he was smarter than everyone (including his coaches) and when his teams failed in the playoffs, it was never his fault.

This is why I have CP3 behind John Stockton in the all time point guard rankings. Stockton did what was best for his team, not his individual statistics. Stockton actually took pay cuts to keep guys on his team, Chris Paul would never fathom doing something like that.

I have always thought of CP3 as a micro-manager. He never trusted his teammates in his prime to be the ones to make plays. He had to spoon feed them. He only trusted them to be finishers of plays. Not creative players in their own right.

I thought was particularly evident with Blake Griffin.

[Who]

Is there any team that CP3 could join and help once he is officially waived / bought out by LAC?

I am struggling to think of any.

- Denver prefer to play big guards in the backcourt to help Jokic on defense. They are better off continuing this with Bruce Brown Jr.

- Lakers are mentioned in the thread but I don't think CP3 is a good fit there. They already have 3 playmakers in Luka, LeBron and A Reaves. They do not another PG / floor general. They need defenders & shot makers.

- Philly & Minny already have comparable old man PGs in K Lowry and M Conley respectively. CP3 is no upgrade on them.

- Tyus Jones in Orlando hasn't done well there but he is a similar type of player as old man CP3. Similar & superior to CP3.

- Houston. Maybe but probably not. They like their big starting lineup with no PG. Reed Sheppard has done well this season. Aaron Holiday is an excellent 3rd string PG who can be a rotation player as needed. I don't think CP3 helps them.

- Toronto with Jamal Shead. I did not like what I saw from him last season but people are speaking highly of him this season. I would also be hesitant to put a strong character like CP3 in that locker. That team has delicate chemistry with all those shot-happy scorers (Quickley, RJ Barrett, B Ingram, S Barnes). It is working at the moment. I wouldn't mess with it.

- NY have Miles McBride, Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Kolek at backup PG already. They don't need CP3.

- Dallas? Is CP3 any better than Ryan Nembhard, D'Angelo Russell or Brandon Williams? I don't think so.


I am not sure any other team steps up and signs CP3 once he does get bought out / waived. I don't see any team that would view him as an upgrade as a rotation regular on the squad.

[Who]

Joey Linn: Ty Lue says the report about him and Chris Paul not speaking for weeks isn't true: "That ain't true. How he gonna play and I'm not talking to him - There was a stretch when he wasn't gonna play and be out of the rotation, it was tough for him because he's a competitor."

Lue said he wasn't part of that final conversation with CP3, Clippers players aren't happy about the decision, and he has "no problem with Chris."

On why the situation was unable to be reconciled: "You gotta ask Lawrence."

[Roy H.]

Joey Linn: Ty Lue says the report about him and Chris Paul not speaking for weeks isn't true: "That ain't true. How he gonna play and I'm not talking to him - There was a stretch when he wasn't gonna play and be out of the rotation, it was tough for him because he's a competitor."

Lue said he wasn't part of that final conversation with CP3, Clippers players aren't happy about the decision, and he has "no problem with Chris."

On why the situation was unable to be reconciled: "You gotta ask Lawrence."

Lue knows heads are going to roll, so he may as well throw his GM under the bus.