Last season, Paul showed unusual hardiness, playing his most games (70 regular season plus 20 playoff games) since 2015-16 and rewarding fantasy owners with 8.9 assists per game (third in the NBA) and a league-best 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. As long as he can hold off Father Time for another year, Paul is an early-round option who should have the opportunity to provide consistent fantasy production again during the 2022-23 season.Ī four-year, $120 million contract means Chris Paul will likely be ending his career as a Phoenix Sun and hitching his ride to the emerging team in an attempt to win that elusive championship ring. However, Paul proved last season that he can handle 30-plus minutes on a nightly basis. He may see a few more rest days during his age-37 season, especially considering that he's played at least 65 games each of the last three years. Paul's absence likely alleviated some workload concerns down the stretch, and it was encouraging to see the veteran beat his return timetable of 6-to-8 weeks. He started the first 58 games of the season before missing just under a month due to a thumb injury. Paul's efficiency from long distance dropped last year, as he shot just 31.7 percent from three-point range - his lowest rate since his rookie season. His 10.8 assists per game marked his highest total since the 2008-09 season and ranked first in the NBA last year, but he averaged a career-low 14.7 points while seeing a slight decrease on the boards with 4.4 rebounds in 32.9 minutes per game. Each year, Paul's charity foundation awards a scholarship to students in Forsyth County, North Carolina to attend Wake Forest.Īlthough Paul was 36 years old during the 2021-22 regular season, he didn't show many signs of slowing down and reiterated after the season that he has no plans to retire. 4 overall of the 2005 NBA Draft by New Orleans. As a sophomore, Paul was named a First Team Consensus All-American as well as a member of ESPN's Academic All-America Team. Led by Paul, the Demon Deacons made it to the third round of the NCAA tournament. Additionally, College Insider, The Sporting News, Basketball Times and Dick Vitale all named Paul the National Freshman of the Year. During the 2003-04 season, Paul started in all 31 games as a freshman and was named ACC Rookie of the Year. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram Paul played two seasons for Wake Forest University before heading to the NBA. In 2016, Paul was named ESPN's Sports Humanitarian of the Year. In the summer of 2013, Paul was elected President of the NBA Players Association. Paul's foundation annually awards students of Forsyth County in North Carolina a scholarship to attend Wake Forest University. Years later, in 2005, the Chris Paul Family Foundation established the CP3 Foundation in honor of his late grandfather to assist the city of Winston-Salem. Jones was tragically killed during Paul's senior season of high school. Growing up, Chris and Charles worked at a gas station owned by their grandfather, Nathanial Jones. He's the son of Robin and Charles Paul and has an older brother (also named Charles). Paul was born in 1985 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. However, games played are something managers will need to factor into their decision-making. Even in limited minutes, he should be able to return something close to top-80 per-game value. He remains one of the best passers in the game and is an elite scorer from the mid-range. If he does come off the bench, there is a chance he plays around 26-28 minutes per night. He has played in excess of 31 minutes in each of his 18 seasons, a number that could definitely fall this season. Paul's ability to slow down the offense should actually fit right in, ensuring he will be a fantasy-relevant player. One benefit is that although he is on the wrong side of 35, the Warriors are not what you would call a youthful team. Injuries are starting to take their toll, an issue that is unlikely to go away. Paul averaged a career-low 13.9 points per game last season, playing in just 59 games. Stephen Curry is firmly established as the starting point guard, a role he is not going to relinquish - and nor should he. After starting every single game of his career, there is a very real chance he will come off the bench after being traded to the Warriors in the offseason. He ended the 2022-23 season as the 31st-ranked player in nine-category leagues, the lowest he has ranked since entering the league. Now 38 years of age, Paul comes into his 19th season with some uncertainty around his role.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |