On Dec. 16, we saw a glimpse of vintage Chris Paul and why he is regarded as one of the league’s top point guards of the decade. The 34-year old, who has now been playing in the NBA for 14 consecutive years, put on a show for the homestand. Paul demonstrated his capability of scoring as a point guard while orchestrating and leading his new team, Oklahoma City Thunder, to a 109-106 victory against the Chicago Bulls.
On Monday night, Paul went 9-for-12 for 30 points, 6-for-8 from the 3-point line, 6-for-6 from the charity stripe, ten rebounds, and eight assists. Despite turning the ball over on five different occasions, Paul redeemed himself by integrating his veteran knowledge.
“He really did a great job. Not only finding his spots to go score, but certainly making the game easy for everybody else,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said.
“I’m really glad that he’s around a lot of our younger players. He understands how long the game, and he understands the number of possessions. I think guys like him have a mental computer that helps them gather information on what’s available.” (via the Associated Press).
With a recent three-game win streak, Oklahoma City Thunder (14-14) currently sits in seventh place in the Western Conference. If Chris Paul can maintain healthy from now until the All-Star break, while conserving his playing time after the break, the Thunder could have an opportunity for a playoff spot.
