Even though he still hasn’t managed to land a ring, Chris Paul will remain as one of the emblematic players of the beginning of the 21st century in the NBA, with a number of enriching experiences, from his rise with New Orleans to his stints as boss at the Clippers and then the Rockets before becoming the mentor, a sort of guide for the Thunder first then for Phoenix at the top level, with whom he was able to play his first NBA Finals.
A leader with an extraordinary game vision, CP3 could be the perfect coach if he wanted to at the end of his career as a professional player. But that’s not really what he aspires to for the future, as he told the show “The Shop”. Alongside Tyronn Lue, the Suns point guard recalls that he has already been “an AAU coach” and that he took pleasure in transmitting his knowledge at this level. He has seen a lot of point guards pass by who then became pros during his “Elite Point Guard Camp”, such as Trae Young, who had Chris Paul as a mentor and who has now become one of the best point guards in the NBA. .
” No “he replied when asked if he imagined one day coaching in the NBA. “Honestly, I’ll tell you, I don’t want to travel that much.”
At ease with the youngest
Tyronn Lue put two other things that may have played into Chris Paul’s post-career pick: “He has too much money to coach. When you’ve made as much money as him, you don’t want to coach! », he launched into a great burst of laughter. The Clippers coach then pointed out that big players like CP3 may not have “not enough patience” to become coaches. Implying that less talented but more surly leaders, like him, or like a Jacque Vaughn could be, fit more into the profile of the future coach leader. As he did with the youngest, this is what CP3 is looking for above all in his role as a coach, transmission more than the lights of the NBA.
“That’s why I love the AAU”, continued Chris Paul to go in the direction of the Clippers coach. “Because we have the opportunity to train kids from an early age. Because when you arrive in the NBA, you don’t want to hear any more of this bullshit. In reality, once arrived in the NBA, I cannot even imagine myself coaching us, because we have the impression of already knowing everything.
Coach, a thankless profession
Tyronn Lue has also portrayed a somewhat thankless role which should not push the leader of the Suns to change his mind for the moment, believing that the coaches remained the first fuses likely to jump at the first hitch.
“How many errors can a player make in a match? A coach will make one or two mistakes and get fired. A player can lose 7 balls in a match, do a 4/15 or 4/19… it doesn’t make sense. We continue to fire good coaches, to throw stones at them, but everyone makes mistakes.
Chris Paul was also able to see it with Monty Williams, his former coach at the Hornets in 2010-2011 before finding him in Phoenix and whom he considers “a member of his family” : NBA finalist in 2021, coach of the year in 2022 and fired in 2023 for losing 4-2 in the conference semi-finals against the future champion. Not enough to encourage him to change his mind on the question…
| Chris Paul | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2005-06 | NOP | 78 | 36 | 43.0 | 28.2 | 84.7 | 0.8 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 7.8 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 0.1 | 16.1 |
| 2006-07 | NOP | 64 | 37 | 43.7 | 35.0 | 81.8 | 0.8 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 8.9 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 0.1 | 17.3 |
| 2007-08 | NOP | 80 | 38 | 48.8 | 36.9 | 85.1 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 11.6 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 0.1 | 21.1 |
| 2008-09 | NOP | 78 | 39 | 50.3 | 36.4 | 86.8 | 0.9 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 11.0 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 0.1 | 22.8 |
| 2009-10 | NOP | 45 | 38 | 49.3 | 40.9 | 84.7 | 0.4 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 10.7 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 18.7 |
| 2010-11 | NOP | 80 | 36 | 46.3 | 38.8 | 87.8 | 0.5 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 9.8 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 0.1 | 15.9 |
| 2011-12 | LAKE | 60 | 36 | 47.8 | 37.1 | 86.1 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 9.1 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 0.1 | 19.8 |
| 2012-13 | LAKE | 70 | 33 | 48.1 | 32.8 | 88.5 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 9.7 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 0.1 | 16.9 |
| 2013-14 | LAKE | 62 | 35 | 46.7 | 36.8 | 85.5 | 0.6 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 10.7 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 0.1 | 19.1 |
| 2014-15 | LAKE | 82 | 35 | 48.5 | 39.8 | 90.0 | 0.6 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 10.2 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 19.1 |
| 2015-16 | LAKE | 74 | 33 | 46.2 | 37.1 | 89.6 | 0.5 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 10.0 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 0.2 | 19.5 |
| 2016-17 | LAKE | 61 | 32 | 47.6 | 41.1 | 89.2 | 0.7 | 4.3 | 5.0 | 9.2 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 0.1 | 18.1 |
| 2017-18 | HOO | 58 | 32 | 46.0 | 38.0 | 91.9 | 0.6 | 4.8 | 5.4 | 7.9 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 18.6 |
| 2018-19 | HOO | 58 | 32 | 41.9 | 35.8 | 86.2 | 0.6 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 8.2 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 0.3 | 15.6 |
| 2019-20 | OKAY | 70 | 32 | 48.9 | 36.5 | 90.7 | 0.4 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 6.7 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 17.6 |
| 2020-21 | PHX | 70 | 31 | 49.9 | 39.5 | 93.4 | 0.4 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 8.9 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 16.4 |
| 2021-22 | PHX | 65 | 33 | 49.3 | 31.7 | 83.7 | 0.3 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 10.8 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 14.7 |
| 2022-23 | PHX | 59 | 32 | 44.0 | 37.5 | 83.1 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 8.9 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 13.9 |
| Total | 1214 | 34 | 47.2 | 36.9 | 87.0 | 0.6 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 9.5 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 0.2 | 17.9 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
