The San Antonio Spurs started the 2024 season with an impressive opening half, but in the end the experience and talent of the Dallas Mavericks team won out. The Mavericks appeared to be a team ready for another title run. And while there have been some bright spots for the Spurs, it’s clear that this team has a lot to improve on if it wants to break its streak of missing playoff appearances.

One of the most impressive points of the night for San Antonio was the play of newly signed Chris Paul. It will take some time to get used to the sight of Paul in a Spurs jersey, but it didn’t take more than a few minutes to see the impact he had on San Antonio’s offense.

CP3 played with the same poise and pace they had for years. As Paul calmly ran through his pick-and-roll options, he easily glanced into the corner for an open three-pointer or found a superior teammate. It was Point Guard 101, taught by the Point God. This was something the Spurs desperately needed.

His shot wasn’t there; he went just 1-6 from the field. But timely positioning on the glass and on offense helped him finish the night with an impressive seven rebounds and eight assists.

Frankly, it shouldn’t matter if Paul scores a lot of points on a given night. Spurs didn’t make him look for his own goals; They brought him to San Antonio to run the offense and be a veteran for the young Spurs. And he shone in that role tonight.

You could feel the change in energy every time Paul left the court. The Spurs might have moved faster, but they moved with less direction. They lacked structure; They ran into trouble and sales increased.

The difference between how the Spurs looked when Paul was on the field and when he was sitting tells us two things: First, the Spurs need to see significant improvement from Tre Jones & Stephon Castle if they want to be a playoff contender . Secondly, Brian Wright hit an absolute home run with this signing.

Paul’s shot will come, and it’s not every night that Victor Wembanyama scores 5-18 from the floor. There are better days ahead. But under the steady hand of Chris Paul, the Spurs’ offense could be significantly improved from last year.