Given how many decades of basketball have been played in the NBA, the LA Clippers should have known that the only 40-year-old the league will likely ever see consistently perform at a high level is LeBron James. LA signed Chris Paul, who is the same age, and, for some odd reason, they thought they could pace him through the regular season and witness an occasional big game from him in the playoffs.
Although game four of the 2025-26 regular season is in the books, the Clippers could tell from his debut in Salt Lake City that their expectations to begin with were a bit unrealistic. In fact, it was not even his four points and four assists that provided clarity, but his efficiency: he went 1-5 from the field.
That said, Paul's veteran voice and high IQ will be needed, but consistency will be his biggest challenge over the Clippers' next 78 games.
Chris Paul should replace Bogdan Bogdanovic as Tyronn Lue's veteran DNP
When the LA Clippers had their full rotation active, Tyronn Lue had an open DNP slot to fill, and it was Bogdan Bogdanovic. However, the Clippers were short of a guard when Bradley Beal was out for games three and four, so the ten-man rotation, consisting of four veteran guards, was maxed out.
Moreover, all of the Clippers' eleven players are available tonight, and hopefully moving forward, meaning a DNP due to 'coach's decision' will occur. Yet, this time around, it should be Chris Paul instead of Bogdanovic.
The numbers of the 12-time All-Star this season paint a picture of how his 21st year is going, as he is shooting below 30% from the field, averaging 2.5 points and 4.0 assists.
Additionally, though Paul's defensive rating may be excellent at 104.1, his offensive rating(90.8) is atrocious, and that is the side of the ball the Clippers expected him to produce most on, particularly with John Collins.
Marking Paul as the DNP'd guard for the foreseeable future will also help Bogdanovic get the playing time he needs to start recording games with an efficient 10+ points. For reference, he is at zero and has not come close to his first.
In the end, the Clippers should have known a disaster around Paul would occur. Because he is basically at rock bottom, his season will only get better, and it starts with his player development and sharp awareness.