Devin Vassell pridefully expresses why Chris Paul has been such an advantage

At the conclusion of the Spurs 2022-23 season, the team was sitting with a record of 22-60 after a lousy season. The young players underperformed, and injuries led to what felt like the very bottom for a once-proud San Antonio franchise. Fortunately, help was on the way in the form of a 7'4" alien from France, and his prospects were the best we've seen since LeBron James.

However, once he was drafted, the wins didn't pour in like fans had hoped. Surely a prospect as highly coveted as Victor Wembanyama would immediately change the fortunes of the youngest team in the league, right? Of course not. It was made clear rather quickly that the 19-year-old who would just be beginning his NBA career wouldn't be ready to turn around a franchise all by himself.

There was something besides internal growth missing from the equation, and everyone knew what that was: a veteran presence. So, after a second consecutive 22-60 season, the front office went out and got the veteran with the most success when it comes to teaching young teams how to win in recent memory—Chris Paul.

There is a direct correlation between CP3 and the Spurs' new poise

San Antonio didn't reach five wins until late December last season, but a different narrative is being written in the Point God chapter of the Spurs' story this time around. Less than a month into the year, the Silver and Black are sitting at 6-6 with a very slight grasp on the 10th seed.

They've played a wide range of competition, from last year's number-one seed in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder, to the lowly Washington Wizards. The returns have been encouraging. It will be easier to see what this team is capable of once all of their injured players return, but one thing is for sure: adding CP3 was exactly what this team needed.

San Antonio has turned a weakness into a strength, performing at their best in the third quarter after repeated stumbles after the break last season. It didn't seem to matter how well the Spurs played in the first half of games; after halftime, they crumbled often. That hasn't been the case this year.

The Silver and Black used to struggle when their opponent got hot. Runs in the NBA are inevitable, so you can't let them get to you. You do what you can to stop them short and make a run of your own, but it was hard for them to maintain positivity at such a young age with nobody to guide them through those tough times.

Today at shootaround, Vassell was asked about what Chris Paul has done specifically to help them grow this year, and he spoke to that very sentiment.

"I feel like that was the missing piece to where if teams go on a run, if it’s not going our way, maybe we’d kinda separate a little bit. He’s been the main piece to keep it all together, so he’s been huge for us." - Devin Vassell

It's shown up on the court. The Washington Wizards are the latest example, showing that even bad teams will go on runs. This is the NBA, and players are supremely talented. It's why Coach Pop is always stressing the importance of playing hard for the full 48 minutes. Paul also understands that, and since he's on the floor with the players, he can continue to remind them of that.

CP3 has a reputation for turning young teams into playoff contenders. He may be in his 20th season, but his impact is still felt as viscerally as ever. Tonight, the Spurs will look to extend the two-game win streak they're currently on tonight in their first Emirates NBA Cup games against an old rival—the Los Angeles Lakers. Paul, like in every game this season, will be instrumental in that mission.