The LA Clippers' three-point loss versus the Boston Celtics marks Chris Paul's fifth-straight game where he has not played. Tyronn Lue's justification for it was efficiency on offense, but what he forgot when removing the veteran guard from the rotation was his IQ and low turnover rate, which ESPN reporter Ramona Shelburne highlighted on 'The Hoop Collective.'
Lue did not just bench Paul for another veteran, like Bogdan Bogdanovic, but he did for a rookie in Kobe Sanders, which is beyond comprehension.
It is certainly a positive that some real development is happening for the 2025 second-round pick, but it is too early to be making these types of decisions when the Clippers have had issues in turning the ball over, and their guard, who knows how to take care of the ball best, is sitting out valuable minutes on the bench.
Chris Paul has the power to improve the LA Clippers' careless turnovers
On 'The Hoop Collective,' ESPN experts Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst had aligned views that Chris Paul was never the issue for the LA Clippers. They were losing with him, but they have lost even more without him, proving that his game was not a major detriment in their six-game losing streak that James Harden willfully ended.
This season, Paul has averaged 2.3 points, shooting 24.0% from the field and 26.3% from a distance. But more importantly, his assists (3.6 per game, 29 in eight games) and turnovers (0.9 per game, 7 in eight games) produced an assist-turnover ratio of 4.14.
The shooting splits are a red flag, but Tyronn Lue must understand that Paul is not out there to shoot and score. His job is to maintain a steady pace, facilitate like a true point guard, and ultimately nip the turnover issues in the bud.
Moreover, in 13 games, the Clippers have turned the ball over 216 times, which is approximately 16.6 per game. Therefore, Shelburne has the proper thought process for questioning why LA's best ball protector is still in his warm-up clothes throughout the game.
That said, Paul is missing open shots, but it is clear the Clippers need his offense. Lue must recall why the front office was stoked to sign him and play him pursuant to that, as their turnovers will drastically decrease to an appealing level by ensuring he is involved in the game, especially with the unfortunate subtraction of Bradley Beal due to injury.