Extreme Chris Paul Prediction Made for Spurs After Trade Deadline 'That Might Be Harsh'

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonah Kubicek | Last updated Feb 12, 2025 5:21 PM ET

After the NBA trade deadline, which saw the San Antonio Spurs make a splashy move for Chris Paul, the team is 2-2 with heartbreaking losses to the Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic. De'Aaron Fox has averaged a solid 21.3 points and 8.5 assists in his four games with the Spurs, but questionable lineup choices are costing the Spurs big.

Despite Fox being a true point guard, Chris Paul has remained in the starting lineup, giving the Spurs two undersized floor generals at once. Mitch Johnson has already been criticised for his post-deadline rotations, and fans and experts alike are calling for "The Point God" to come off the bench.

In the four games since Fox came to town, Paul is averaging 7.8 points and 7.5 assists, but he might be best suited to lead the second unit.

"Why is Chris Paul still starting?" asked Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor. "I don't understand why he's still starting in this game. Put Castle in there. Castle plays 20 minutes against the Wizards, makes no sense to me at all with as great as he's been."

While the Fox, Castle, and Wembanyama trio hasn't been as good as the lineup that features Fox, Paul, and Wemby, the younger rotation is the lineup of the future. While the numbers are certainly skewed in Paul's favor, he has the benefit of often playing with shooting threats like Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, and Harrison Barnes, while Castle has shared the floor with Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan.

Spurs' 3-Man Lineups (Last 4 Games)

Lineup	Total Minutes	Points per 36	Plus/minus	Def. Rating	Off. Rating	Net Rating
Fox, Paul, Wembanyama	73.0	89.3	-3.5	119.9	116.9	-3.0
Fox, Castle, Wembanyama	28	69.7	-12.9	108.5	88.5	-19.9

"Castle playing 20 minutes is so goofy," O'Connor continued. "It's so silly to me. If Chris Paul is unwilling to come off the bench I'd just get rid of him. That might be harsh, but you gotta come off the bench at this point."

While cutting Paul is certainly harsh, conversations need to be had with the veteran about long-term goals for the team and where he fits in with future plans.

Gregg Popovich and Brian Wright likely promised Paul that he would be a starter in San Antonio, but if he's serious about winning and helping the Spurs improve and win, he needs to be willing to make some personal sacrifices.

At 39 years old, it's obvious that he is still one of the best minds in the entire game, but his skill set has been passed up and the Spurs need to make a tough choice.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: