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OKC Thunder: 3 reasons Chris Paul has won us over

By Luke Duffy

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 05: Chris Paul #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball on offense against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first quarter at HP Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 05, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 05: Chris Paul #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball on offense against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first quarter at HP Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 05, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Oklahoma City Thunder
Chris Paul, OKC Thunder (Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images) /

2. Back in a smaller market

When Chris Paul was with the then-Hornets, part of the appeal was seeing this young star in the making get drafted by a smaller market and look on as he tried to make them relevant. Paul certainly managed to achieve that, you still occasionally see a Paul jersey from that era worn by somebody out on the street, but he never received a lot of help.

This led to him ultimately leaving, but while in New Orleans it was much easier to like Paul. There is a weird thing basketball fans do in order to show how much they love the game whereby they lord their knowledge of more obscure teams over casual fans. For a period there at the start of his career, Paul was not on the radar of the casual fan because he was in a small market.

This meant that the more hardcore fans were well aware of his statistical brilliance, and loved the fact he wasn’t a part of the New York Knicks or Los Angeles Lakers. Organizations that get so much air time regardless of how well they’re doing. Damian Lillard may be the best current example of this, fans love how loyal he is to the Portland Trail Blazers, on top of his greatness.

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Then Paul made the move to the Clippers, after initially seeing a trade to the Lakers blocked, and that viewpoint on him changed. He was now in a big market, and although it was fun to see the upstart Clippers take on the Lakers in the beginning, the antics of that roster wore people down quickly.

To watch a Clippers game was to see the players and coaches snipe at the referees constantly, or so it seemed. To whine and complain at every call. Paul wasn’t the only one, but he was certainly front and center during these annoying moments. That didn’t help his reputation. Moving to the Rockets only made it worse, their style of play has long annoyed plenty of fans.

All of which is to say that, now that he’s back in a smaller market with the Thunder, that perception has flipped once more. Paul is no longer a threat to win a championship with a dislikable bunch. Instead, he’s being great for a franchise that cheered on Russell Westbrook for years and seems to be loving this different way of watching a point guard play.

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