Although Chris Paul's best days are behind the future Hall of Fame point guard, his signature weapon, dishing assists, hasn't vanished. Since the news of Paul signing with the San Antonio Spurs, fans envisioned Victor Wembanyama catching alley-oops.
The fantasies have come true in light of a recent statistic indicating Paul's positive influence on Wembanyama and the Spurs.
Not surprisingly, Wembanyama is the San Antonio player with the highest percentage of passes from Paul. One of the reasons the Spurs signed Paul was to make Wembanayama's on-court experience less complicated, at least in getting shots. While Wembanyama's shot chart extends to the 3-point range at a high rate, ultimately, Paul is always there to provide him attempts at the rim.
According to NBA University's research, Paul and Wembanyama belong in the top tier of alley-oop partners.
Fifth in the NBA, with 10 alley-oop connections, Paul and Wembanyama represent a formidable duo in the timeless art of simply slamming the ball into a hoop.
While some may see the 10 alley-oop conversions as a simple highlight stat, they allude to the connectivity between a 39-year-old legend and a 21-year-old phenom.
Competing in the unfair Western Conference, where multiple losses are not allowed without some change in the standings, the Spurs sit confidently at 11-10, ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
It's unlikely Paul plays out more than a season with the Spurs. However, in his short time with the franchise, he's provided the knowledge and production to help push Wembanyama into his subsequent career trajectory: playoff contention.
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