It hurt all long-time New Orleans basketball fans to see their franchise great, Chris Paul, have his farewell tour cut short by the L.A. Clippers, just 21 games into the season. Paul recently shared similar frustrations, expressing that he doesn't want his final chapter to end on the note it did with the Clippers, but he's unsure where he could go in his final season.
"With the way all that stuff went down, I think for me, I just love this game so much that I don’t want it to end like that. I’ve enjoyed the time for sure, but I don’t know yet. I don’t know what team I hope to finish with."Chris Paul via Good Sports
This is where I think the New Orleans Pelicans could come in.
The Pelicans sit at 9–33 at the midway point of the season and are clearly searching for answers. With the front office reluctant to move any core players at the deadline, they may need to explore more unorthodox solutions.
Paul was the Pelicans/Hornets' franchise player for six years, from 2005 to 2011, and remains the player a large portion of the fan base considers the organization's best player in its history. Bringing Paul back to where it all started for him in the NBA would be one of the league's most feel-good stories, while also benefiting the Pelicans and their young core. Not to mention It would also reunite Paul with a former Clippers teammate, DeAndre Jordan.
An opportunity to mold the future
While Paul may no longer be the offensive engine he once was or a consistent double-double threat, one thing he still has is his mind for the game and his leadership skills. Although the Clippers weren't fans of Paul's voice in their locker room, things would be completely different for a Pelicans team that needs that kind of vocal leadership. We've also seen three examples of Paul's mentorship on young teams benefiting them in the long run.
It started after he was traded from the Houston Rockets to the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he spent one season and put his imprint on reigning NBA Champion and league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Case two came with the Phoenix Suns, and while Devin Booker was already very close to a finished product, being around Paul every day for nearly two and a half years allowed his leadership traits to clearly rub off on him.
And the most recent proof of Paul's ability to impact a young core came with the San Antonio Spurs last season. He was an on-court extension of the coaching staff, guiding players like Stephon Castle, Victor Wembanyama, and De'Aaron Fox.
So think about what half a season with CP3 could do for players like Jeremiah Fears, Micah Peavy, Derik Queen, and Trey Murphy III. The on- and off-court habits, professionalism, mindset, and leadership qualities would greatly benefit this young core, and his work over the last several years is proof of that.
Whatever your stance is on how Chris Paul's farewell tour ended with the Clippers, one thing you can't deny is that the all-time great point guard deserved a better send-off than what he got. If any team can give Chris Paul the proper send-off he deserves, it’s the New Orleans Pelicans.