With all the back-and-forth that has taken place regarding Chris Paul this offseason, it would not be surprising for the Clippers’ new superstar to be a bit out of shape. If CP3 has not been as focused as he should be over the past few weeks, who can blame him? One minute he’s being traded to the Lakersm and the next he’s staying put. Fear not, Clippers fans: Sergeant Del Negro is going to whip his new superstar point guard right into shape.
“He’s gonna lose a few pounds, he’s gonna feel a little bit better,” Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said when asked about Paul after this weekend’s scrimmage. “Right now, when you come in, the play-sets are a little bit different, the terminology’s a little bit different. It’s easier, because he’s been around and he knows a lot of this stuff. In this game, if you’re a step slow, you’re in trouble. Every day, he’ll get a little bit more comfortable.”
I respect that Del Negro is trying to talk about Paul like he’s just one of the guys, but I can’t help but feel like he’s trying to show who’s boss. The people of Los Angeles are hoping CP3 can rescue the Clippers, not vice versa. Considering he is one of the best point guards in the game, the system will be adapting to Paul. If he doesn’t fit in fairly quickly, Del Negro will be without a job.
In other words, nice try. Paul may lose a few pounds if he is still getting into shape but the play-sets and terminology will wind up being whatever he’s comfortable with.
Chest bump to Pro Basketball Talk for passing along the story.
