There is no question that Chris Paul has looked like a new player this year.
Or maybe, more accurately, he looks like the player he was nearly a decade ago.
The rebirth of CP3 was on full display during All-Star Weekend, complete with a career-best 23 points in the All-Star Game and even a high-flying dunk.
In his first season with the Thunder, Paul’s scoring is up from a year ago, his shooting percentage is significantly improved and maybe most importantly, his health has been excellent.
The veteran guard has been vocal about the benefits of going vegan during the offseason.
But it’s not just the change in diet that has Paul feeling good, it’s also a change in scenery. Paul sat down with ESPN’s Maria Taylor ahead of the All-Star Game and told her that he felt “refreshed” in his first season in OKC.
“I was having an amazing time out in LA. And that first year in Houston was unbelievable. It was just a different way of playing. You know, but the ultimate goal was to win a championship. But in that time, had that terrible injury. Being injured, you can lose confidence, all the different-type stuff going through your head, but it’s been refreshing being in Oklahoma and the biggest thing, too, is being healthy.
One of the biggest knocks against Paul prior to this season was his inability to stay healthy.
From 2017 through 2019, he missed time due to various injuries that included his knees, hip, groin, and hamstring, including a five-week absence last year with the Rockets while nursing a right hamstring injury
Paul played in just 58 games in each of his two seasons in Houston. This year in Oklahoma City, he’s already played in 54, and the only game he missed was for personal reasons immediately following the death of Kobe Bryant.
Paul said during the interview that he’s noticed a difference this season in his ability to recover faster, primarily due to his vegan diet, and that he feels he’s at his best on the second day of back-to-backs.
Oklahoma City returns to action on Friday night when they host the Denver Nuggets.