1,365 career matches played, playoffs included, and not a single one off the bench. For the first time in 19 years of career, Chris Paul did not start last night, with the Warriors on the floor of the Rockets. According to ESPNthis match thus ended the longest series of its kind in progress, since 1970-71.
“ It was clearly different “, comments the replacement leader, thinking for example about warming up. “ But in the end, it’s still basketball », he adds. He simply had to wait five more minutes watching the starters, including Draymond Green, who was making his return. In his absence, linked to an ankle injury, “CP3” had kept his place in the five since the start of the season.
An All-Star who sacrifices himself
As was more or less expected, Steve Kerr asked him to change his habits for the good of the team. “ The way Chris has accepted everything is impressive. He just nodded and said, ‘Let’s go get them (the Rockets)’. He never makes a big deal out of it. He’s a veteran, a great player, an All-Star who shows such sacrifice, it sets the tone for the entire team », Judges the coach, drawing a parallel with the attitude of Andre Iguodala in the past.
After two first outings with at least 33 minutes of play and a double-double average (12 points and 10.5 assists), Chris Paul played 27 minutes last night. Still enough time to accumulate 8 points (3/8 on shots including 0/3 from distance), 7 assists and 5 rebounds. And above all to bring a feeling of serenity to the “second unit”.
“ I like the fact that we won, that’s the most important thing »
This impact is well illustrated by his… +22 to the score when he was in play, the best ratio of all the protagonists present. The former Suns conductor notably played an important role in the “run” at the start of the second quarter.
“ That’s all I have to do to help our team win. If this means (get off the bench), if that means not finishing some matches or whatever, you know, if you’re lucky enough to play long enough in your career, there are things that are going to change, there are things that are going to be different and I’m there », thus underplays the 38-year-old player.
Did the latter appreciate this experience which was to be repeated? “ I do not hate you. It’s not a question of liking it or not. I like the fact that we won, that’s the most important thing », sweeps away the player who, according to ESPN, is intended to play the majority of his minutes with the substitutes, whether he is a starter or not. The idea being to allow the Warriors to better approach sequences without Stephen Curry and other major players.
With the end of Paul’s streak, it is now Damian Lillard, who played his 833rd career game on Sunday night, who has the longest streak of consecutive starts in progress, ahead of Kyrie Irving (748). We recall that LeBron James came off the Lakers bench once last year.
| Chris Paul | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2005-06 | NOP | 78 | 36 | 43.0 | 28.2 | 84.7 | 0.8 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 7.8 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 0.1 | 16.1 |
| 2006-07 | NOP | 64 | 37 | 43.7 | 35.0 | 81.8 | 0.8 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 8.9 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 0.1 | 17.3 |
| 2007-08 | NOP | 80 | 38 | 48.8 | 36.9 | 85.1 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 11.6 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 0.1 | 21.1 |
| 2008-09 | NOP | 78 | 39 | 50.3 | 36.4 | 86.8 | 0.9 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 11.0 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 0.1 | 22.8 |
| 2009-10 | NOP | 45 | 38 | 49.3 | 40.9 | 84.7 | 0.4 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 10.7 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 18.7 |
| 2010-11 | NOP | 80 | 36 | 46.3 | 38.8 | 87.8 | 0.5 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 9.8 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 0.1 | 15.9 |
| 2011-12 | LAKE | 60 | 36 | 47.8 | 37.1 | 86.1 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 9.1 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 0.1 | 19.8 |
| 2012-13 | LAKE | 70 | 33 | 48.1 | 32.8 | 88.5 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 9.7 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 0.1 | 16.9 |
| 2013-14 | LAKE | 62 | 35 | 46.7 | 36.8 | 85.5 | 0.6 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 10.7 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 0.1 | 19.1 |
| 2014-15 | LAKE | 82 | 35 | 48.5 | 39.8 | 90.0 | 0.6 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 10.2 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 19.1 |
| 2015-16 | LAKE | 74 | 33 | 46.2 | 37.1 | 89.6 | 0.5 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 10.0 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 0.2 | 19.5 |
| 2016-17 | LAKE | 61 | 32 | 47.6 | 41.1 | 89.2 | 0.7 | 4.3 | 5.0 | 9.2 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 0.1 | 18.1 |
| 2017-18 | HOU | 58 | 32 | 46.0 | 38.0 | 91.9 | 0.6 | 4.8 | 5.4 | 7.9 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 18.6 |
| 2018-19 | HOU | 58 | 32 | 41.9 | 35.8 | 86.2 | 0.6 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 8.2 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 0.3 | 15.6 |
| 2019-20 | OKAY | 70 | 32 | 48.9 | 36.5 | 90.7 | 0.4 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 6.7 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 17.6 |
| 2020-21 | PHX | 70 | 31 | 49.9 | 39.5 | 93.4 | 0.4 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 8.9 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 16.4 |
| 2021-22 | PHX | 65 | 33 | 49.3 | 31.7 | 83.7 | 0.3 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 10.8 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 14.7 |
| 2022-23 | PHX | 59 | 32 | 44.0 | 37.5 | 83.1 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 8.9 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 13.9 |
| 2023-24 | GOS | 2 | 34 | 33.3 | 0.0 | 85.7 | 0.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 10.5 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 12.0 |
| Total | 1216 | 34 | 47.2 | 36.8 | 87.0 | 0.6 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 9.5 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 0.2 | 17.9 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
