Gallinari on Chris Paul: ‘He’s the best leader I’ve played with’

Gallinari told reporters Sunday he believes Paul is “definitely the MVP, no doubt”, citing his leadership and ability to control a game.

There’s a reason that Oklahoma City has been so successful this season.

Yes, they have a budding star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and yes, their three point-guard rotation makes them extremely difficult to defend.

They also have about eight different players that can go for double figures on any given night (sometimes, all the same night) and five that are capable of taking over a game.

But the key difference for the Thunder in their first season without Russell Westbrook hasn’t been any of those things. It’s been the leadership from the guy they traded Westbrook for – Chris Paul.

Dennis Schroder alluded to it back in February, saying that there was a “different vibe” in the locker room this season.

Danilo Gallinari took it a step further on Sunday, telling reporters he thinks that Paul is “the best leader I’ve played with” when asked about making the case for Paul as the league MVP.

“He’s definitely the MVP no doubt. His leadership … I’ve played with a lot of players in my 12 years in the league, I think he’s the best leader that I’ve played with. And I think that when you want to find the MVP, leadership is one of the first things you need to talk about.”

Gallo then expanded on what makes Paul such a great leader:

“He’s smart, he knows the game. He knows how to talk to each and every one of us. He knows how to manage the pace of the game. Other than the fact that he’s a great talent, amazing talent, all these things make him a great leader.”

Granted, Gallinari wasn’t in Oklahoma City for the Westbrook years. But he’s an 11-year veteran. He’s been around the league with the Knicks, Nuggets, and Clippers before landing in OKC. So he’s seen a lot and played with a lot of guys.

Schroder and Gallinari aren’t the only ones talking about Paul’s leadership.

Scottie Pippen brought it up on a recent episode of The Jump, citing Paul’s leadership as the primary reason that Oklahoma City has exceeded expectations this season and why he believes this year’s Thunder team is better than the 2018-19 team, despite Sam Presti trading away both Westbrook and Paul George during the offseason.