Criticism Surrounds Clippers’ Handling of Chris Paul

Stephen A. Smith believes that the Los Angeles Clippers’ recent actions regarding Chris Paul were, frankly, unprofessional. He expressed his disbelief after the team abruptly sent the future Hall of Famer home early on Wednesday. This decision came just weeks after Paul announced that he would retire after this season.

“How can you treat Chris Paul like this?” Smith remarked on “First Take.” “He’s a future Hall of Famer winding down his career here. Honestly, he doesn’t care about the team’s struggles—they’re not doing well right now, and we all know that.”

Paul, who is a celebrated figure in Clippers history for his time from 2011 to 2017, was cut off from communicating with coach Tyronn Lue. Reportedly, he simply stated, “It just didn’t work out.”

The Clippers are often seen as one of the more troubled franchises in the NBA. Paul previously led the “Lob City” Clippers to the Western Conference semifinals in 2015, only to see the team blow a 3-1 lead against the Houston Rockets.

Similar misfortunes occurred in the 2020 playoffs, when Kawhi Leonard’s team collapsed against the Denver Nuggets in the “bubble.” Smith feels that the real issue for the organization lies with Leonard himself.

“Kawhi Leonard is actually the bigger problem,” Smith claimed. “He’s a talented player when he’s healthy, but he’s not contributing to team growth or success. He’s basically the worst kind of superstar. As far as I know, he’s the only person Chris Paul can have a real conversation with. The whole organization is in chaos right now.”

In Paul’s first game back, the Clippers managed to defeat the Hawks 115-92, bringing their record to 6-16 and placing them 13th in the Western Conference.

The franchise seems to remain in turmoil, with no clear path forward. They don’t seem to have any plans to tank; after all, valuable draft picks were traded to acquire Paul George back in 2019.

It’s uncertain if Paul will find a new team this season. His performance has dipped, averaging just 2.9 points, 3.3 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in about 14 minutes per game.

He does have connections with the Knicks, as their president of basketball operations, Leon Rose, was his agent for years. Reports suggest that the Knicks are considering acquiring a point guard through trade.