Chris Paul has looked like a new player this year in Oklahoma City.
Or maybe, it would be more accurate to say that he’s looked like the old Chris Paul, the one people remember from before he got to Houston and played in the cast of James Harden and the rest of the Rockets.
The resurgence of Chris Paul is one of the reasons why the Thunder are where they are. Sitting in seventh place in the Western Conference standings, and, thanks to their 112-107 come back win over the Rockets on Monday, just two games behind Houston for sixth.
Paul led the team with 28 points in the win, 27 of them coming in the first half, essentially keeping OKC within striking range at halftime.
Step 👏 Back 👏 Corner 👏 Three 👏 @CP3 | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/fTRph4l1p3
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 20, 2020
Looking at where Oklahoma City is just past the midway point of the season, it’s hard to believe that mere months ago, Paul was believed to either be on his way out having never even played a minute for the Thunder or simply a part of the rotation as trade bait for a playoff contender.
Neither of those has been the case as Paul told Rohan Nadkarni of Bleacher Report that he’s happy right where he is and that neither he nor his agents have ever asked for a trade from the Thunder.
For now, both sides seem content to make the most of the situation, evaluating their options only as necessary. OKC benefits the better CP plays, and the front office isn’t in a rush to dump him. If or when Paul is moved from the Thunder, he and the front office will work together on where he ends up—the same way it happened for Westbrook and George.
As he has from the moment that he brought Paul in from Houston, Thunder General Manager Sam Presti praised his point guard’s professionalism and willingness to be “all in” in his return to OKC.
“His professionalism, his outlook, and his maturity have been on another level. We are going through a transition ourselves, so it’s somewhat poetic, how he has returned at this point in the organizational timeline, and how he’s elevated our team. All I can say is that Chris has been all we could have hoped for and more.”
All of the love that Paul has for the Oklahoma City organization doesn’t mean that he still isn’t chasing a championship ring. He is.
He knows it might not happen for him, and he knows it’s unlikely that it will happen with the Thunder. But he’s excited to be part of a team that’s going to compete night in and night out.
“We have a fun team. That’s all you want. A chance and an opportunity to compete. I guess I’m just different. Analytics may say this, the odds may say this. When the ball goes up that night, I think we have a chance to win.”
If Monday’s win was any indication, the Thunder always have a chance.