NBA star Chris Paul has joined the San Antonio Spurs to add experience to their roster for the upcoming 2024-25 season. It will be interesting to see how the point guard links up with the team’s star player, Victor Wembanyama.
At the Spurs‘ media day, Paul emerged as one of the key characters ahead of the new season. The 39-year-old point guard joined San Antonio via free agency on a one-year deal worth $11 million. His arrival makes sense on a roster that was the youngest in the league, so his experience is much needed.
“He (Wembanyama) is competitive and good at almost everything,” was the special message from Paul on the French center, who is in his second year as a professional with the Spurs. His role will be to shore up Wembanyama so that his offensive power will be a key pillar for the Spurs, who are looking to return to the playoffs after five seasons.
Paul knows that his arrival with the Spurs has the immediate consequence of an increased court presence, as opposed to the 18 games he played in all of last season with the Golden State Warriors. “I hope I can bring competitiveness to this team. Playing hard is a talent, but it’s not enough,” Paul said.
Victor Wembanyama’s performance in his first NBA season
In his first year as a professional, 2023 first-round draft pick Victor Wembanyama played in 71 games and averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists. The center will share the roster with Paul, one of the league’s best players who has never won an NBA ring but has made 12 All-Star appearances and led the league in assists for five seasons.
When will Paul’s San Antonio Spurs make their debut in the upcoming NBA?
The San Antonio Spurs will make their NBA debut in 2024-25 when they take on the Dallas Mavericks on 24 October at the American Airlines Center in a complex challenge that will see them visit last season’s runners-up. Prior to the official competition, Gregg Popovich’s team will play five preseason games, an important opportunity to rebuild team chemistry.