SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs officially introduced one of their newest members, Chris Paul, who said in his official introduction Tuesday that a big reason he decided to play in San Antonio was the chance to play with reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama.
“There’s probably no player in the league that every player in the league talks about after the game like him," Paul said. "That definitely helps. That definitely didn't hurt."
San Antonio could become Lob City South with Paul and the 7-foot-4 French center. Paul, a 19-year NBA veteran who spent last season with Golden State, is a master at the pick-and-roll. Pairing him with Wemby should make things much more difficult for Spurs opponents next season.
Harrison Barnes quipped that the Spurs should lead the NBA in lob dunks next season.
"It'd be a shame we didn't, definitely," he said.
Kidding aside, the Spurs other recent acquisition believes Paul can only put Wembanayama in the right spots next season, thus maximizing his potential.
"I think that his ability, his knowledge of the game will just make it so much easier for Vic [Victor]. He can literally, put him in a position to give him easier looks. Have a consistent flow for Vic," Barnes said. "Just look at Chris' career. The guys that he's just assisted in, just their scoring effort. For all the ways that Vic can score, having a guy like Chris there to help with just making his life easier."
Paul ranks third in the NBA all-time in assists (11,894) and finished with the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio (5.17) last season.
ROOKIE NUNEZ OFF TEAM SPAIN'S ROSTER
Team Spain has announced that Juan Nunez, the Spurs' 2024 second-round NBA Draft pick, has been replaced on the roster by Alex Abrines.
Abrines missed the qualifying tournament due to injury. However, the move was made after he recovered, and Spain punched its ticket to the 2024 Olympics.
Nunez will remain on Team Spain's roster during its camp.