Clippers come to brutal Chris Paul realization the Spurs have known all along

Just a few games into the new season, and the San Antonio Spurs are flying high thanks to the play of Steph Castle and Dylan Harper. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers are just now realizing a key flaw in one of their big free agency acquisitions.

Point guard Chris Paul spent one season in San Antonio helping lead a young roster before signing with the Clippers. While his leadership and on-the-court playmaking were a big help to the development of several young Spurs players, a major flaw went overlooked.

Paul was either unwilling or unable to attack the paint. His inability to do so resulted in the Spurs ranking poorly in rim drives when he was on the floor. That will soon change with the Spurs eager to see De'Aaron Fox join Harper and Castle, all three of whom thrive getting to the rim.

Having a point guard who can't touch the paint on offense dramatically limits their effectiveness as a scorer and especially as a passer. The Clippers are learning that firsthand. Whether it be collapsing defenses, which leads to open threes, or finding the roll man for an easy dunk in the pick-and-roll, a point guard must be able to attack the basket.

The San Antonio Spurs no longer miss Chris Paul

When the Spurs signed Paul, many expected him to turn Victor Wembanyama into a lob threat, but that never really happened. Some of that was on Wembanyama setting poor screens, but Paul only being able to get free for pull-up jumpers didn't help either.

Ironically, through six games, we have probably seen as many lobs thrown to Wembanyama as last season with Paul. That has a lot to do with Wembanyama focusing more on scoring in the paint rather than shooting threes. It is also a sign that the Spurs are doing a much better job of getting him the ball.

The fact that the Spurs went from desperately needing a playmaker like Paul last season to having multiple playmaking options proves they moved on at the right time. Now, the Clippers are starting to see that Paul may not be the player they were expecting.

All in all, while Paul did a lot to help the Spurs last season, they aren't missing a beat without him, thanks to Harper, Castle, and Fox, once he makes his season debut. Meanwhile, the Clippers are just now learning about Paul's limitations, and that could negatively affect them as the season wears on.