Knicks torment Spurs with devastating reminder of key free agent departure

The San Antonio Spurs sit on the brink of elimination in the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks and should be regretting not bringing back a key free agent as a result.

The Spurs opted to let future Hall of Famer Chris Paul leave in free agency, with him signing with the L.A. Clippers. I'm sure both sides regret him not returning to San Antonio given how things have played out.

Paul was dismissed from the Clippers in December and later traded. Meanwhile, the Spurs have made the NBA Finals but have struggled to close games, with them falling apart in crunch time.

The Spurs desperately miss Chris Paul's leadership

While Paul wasn't particularly effective when he played this season, he could have provided a valuable voice to the young Spurs in the playoffs. We've seen Bismack Biyombo take on a similar role, but having a future Hall of Famer as a vocal leader likely carries more weight.

Paul mentored Victor Wembanyama, but he would have been able to do more of the same with Wemby, De'Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle. That alone might have made him hugely impactful even if he weren't playing a major role on the court.

Who knows, perhaps he might have been able to talk Fox out of whatever he was thinking during his Game 4 meltdown.

The Spurs are having to learn what Paul could have taught them

With the Spurs' youth showing against the more experienced Knicks, San Antonio could have used Paul's knowledge in those clutch situations. Even from the bench, he could have possibly steered the Spurs away from making several devastating decisions.

Perhaps Paul wasn't at the point in his career where he was willing to accept being a deep-bench veteran who only plays sparingly. If he wasn't, then the Spurs were wise not to sign a fourth guard, allowing Harper to play big minutes off the bench.

Nevertheless, the Spurs could have used his expertise, perhaps even in a coaching setting. Coach Mitch Johnson's decision-making has rightfully come under fire in the NBA Finals.

Having Paul on the bench in some capacity might have been valuable. Unfortunately, the young Spurs are having to learn some hard lessons that Paul could have taught them.

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