SUMMARY
- Reports have suggested a potential pairing of Chris Paul and the Lakers.
- CP3's mentorship and playmaking abilities to come in handy for the Lakers in various ways.
Chris Paul joining the Los Angeles Lakers would be a legendary pairing. There are multiple reports claiming the acquisition of the point guard is a high possibility this off-season. The Lakers are desperately in need of someone like CP3, who has been a top-tier guard for several years now. He is currently coming off a fairly decent run with the Golden State Warriors where he performed off the bench.
Lakers are seeking a vet PG, and Chris Paul is on their list, per @MarcJSpears
Russell Westbrook is also a candidate 👀 pic.twitter.com/abkFczR355
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 21, 2021
Paul has proven to be a great mentor and facilitator over the years. And despite coming off the bench, Paul has shown a lot of efficiency as well. Over the years, he’s been one of the best playmakers in the NBA, which is a skillset the Lakers could desperately use moving forward. And there are some major upsides in Paul’s game that LeBron James and Anthony Davis could benefit from as well.
There are almost no downsides to Chris Paul’s skill
We’ve seen LeBron James perform extremely well with an All-Star caliber guard on his side. The 4x NBA Champion lived through glorious days playing alongside Dwyane Wade and Kyrie Irving. We were able to see how well those seasons worked out for him. James made eight straight playoff appearances while winning three NBA Championships. So pairing a driven point guard like Chris Paul with the Lakers duo would help open up the floor a bit more for the Lakers.
As a starter, despite being a bit weaker in scoring, Paul has always averaged between 8 to 10 assists per game. Even while coming off the bench with the Warriors, Paul averaged 6.8 assists along with 1.2 steals per game. The 39-year-old also has a history of pushing weaker teams into playoff contention. While the Lakers were a playoff team, they certainly need a boost of some sort and CP3 could be the answer. But Paul has been injury-prone lately, which might be a drawback for the Lakers.
Chris Paul would be a great mentor to Bronny James if the Lakers draft him
Multiple rumors claim that the Lakers are most likely going to draft Bronny James this year. The 19-year-old only played half a season of the college basketball which is why scouts have very little belief in his potential. However, Bronny has been performing fairly well in various NBA workouts. He was also spotted working out at the LA Lakers gym as well.
Considering that Chris Paul is a point guard who is shorter in height, he could help Bronny develop himself into becoming that perfect role player that he claims to be. We’ve seen Paul help players like Brandin Podziemski build their skills or knowledge in the game. Podziemski went from a second-unit player to being a brief replacement for Klay Thompson in the starting lineup. He was also included in this year’s All-Rookie First Team.