Paul returns to the Clippers and leads the second lineup. Has the Clippers aging team been revitalized?

A certain man who was 1.83 meters tall used his signature combo: two skillful under-crotch dribbles, a rhythmic emergency stop and retreat, and then, a textbook emergency stop jump shot, surpassing the 2.11 meters tall man, and accurately hitting the net. After the shot was made, the man had a mean smile on his face, as if he was mocking his bulky opponent. Chris Paul wears the Clippers' No. 3 jersey, and all the familiar feelings are back.

Memories keep coming to my mind like a revolving lantern. Seeing Paul training Eubanks in the military, fans' minds were filled with memories of the famous scene ten years ago when he faced Duncan and made a buzzer-beating shot. Seeing Paul give Collins an alley-oop assist, what fans thought of was the classic connection between him and DeAndre Jordan. Seeing Paul and Da Luo playing pick-and-rolls around the top of the arc, fans saw the shadow of Griffin in Da Luo. Looking at the Clippers' bench, pressing the King to the ground and rubbing him, at that moment, the "Lob City" of the past was back!

After many years of absence, Paul returned to his hometown. Paul is still the longest-serving player on the team for the Clippers. There is no dispute that the six years with the Clippers were the youth of Paul's career. He and this team have experienced the joy of winning, the bitterness of losing, the cry of losing in the playoffs year after year, the regret of missing out on the Western Conference Finals stage, and the reluctance to part ways. No matter how the times change, Paul will always be the captain and the unique symbol of the Clippers.

Of course, time has still left its mark on this captain. Paul, 30, is a well-deserved helmsman. But today, when the 40-year-old Paul faced Plowden and suffered consecutive losses in one-on-one battles, fans should understand that Paul has long lost the ability to steer. The core is no longer good, and it is unlikely to be selected for the starting lineup. The only task of the old man in his forties this year with the Clippers is to lead the bench lineup.

According to the guidance of head coach Lu, no surprise, the "five up and five down" rotation arrangement will be adopted for the second consecutive year. To put it simply, the Clippers' starters and substitutes can be regarded as two different teams, each with different playing strategies. Paul is at the helm of the second team this year. Clearly, Paul is a mid-level horse under Coach Lou. The mid-level horses and the opponents' top-level horses cannot compete in terms of physical strength and energy. However, faced with a group of crooked and low-level horses, such as the King's second lineup today, the mid-level horses have the advantage and have the initiative in the transitional game.

Building a lineup around a 40-year-old core has always required a lot of brainpower, but the Clippers spent a lot of money during the offseason and basically solved the problem. For a 40-year-old veteran, the main attack should not be tired, and the intensity of the game should not be too high. How to reduce the intensity of the attacker's game? To put it simply, it depends on space.

The Clippers' bench has better shooting ability than the starting lineup. In the starting lineup, we can easily find two big black holes in space, Zubac and Jones Jr., but in the substitute lineup, we can hardly find anyone. Lopez, as the Clippers' most important offseason signing, is a No. 5 who is good at shooting. Today, the 36-year-old veteran made almost every shot from beyond the three-point line. He could score in the open space, he could score despite the interference of Sabonis, and he also had a magical mid-range shot off the board. Collins is the most overrated No. 4 position in the league. The Clippers are willing to treat him this offseason because they value his reliable shooting ability. The 38-year-old Batum is good at shooting. Although the 31-year-old Dunn cannot shoot, he can create opportunities for three-point shooters with his threatening air cuts. A complete bench lineup with full shooting ability.

The three cannons currently on the field are going there, giving the entire league a headache. Encountering a team like the Kings with no defensive discipline, the substitute center gave up protecting the frame, and the outside rotation lost the defensive direction, like a piece of loose sand. In a mess of chaos, looking for opportunities to break through one by one, this is Paul's comfort zone. He can attack naive big centers by name. He is good at finding teammates who are in open positions. He can also perform a whole set of tricks in the pick-and-roll to tease the opponent's IQ. The Clippers' bench is alive and well!

Obviously, the 40-year-old Paul returns to the Clippers not only to return to Los Angeles to retire, but also to shoulder important responsibilities during the long season. After Paul was able to command the second team, the Clippers' starting lineup, especially the two stars who were in poor physical condition, had the right to be confused.

The 36-year-old Harden and the 34-year-old Leonard are almost the two worst players on the Clippers today. The former has no desire to attack. He seems to be thinking about getting off work before going to work. He is lazy and completely unprepared for the regular season. Leonard was playing wildly all over the court. After getting the ball, he didn't see his teammates. He selectively ignored the garbage-like feel. He firmly believed that as long as he kept throwing, no matter how many irons were hit in front of him, there would always be a moment when he made the throw. The heavy pace, slow straight sprint, and 2cm vertical jump all tell the story of Leonard's current poor physical condition.

This is the Clippers' biggest hidden danger in the new season. You don't know that one day in the future, a capricious hamstring injury will take away the last bit of Harden's athletic ability. I don’t know if there will come a day when Leonard’s knee suddenly breaks down again without any warning. The elderly need care. In the long 82 games, the Clippers have to allow Harden to paddle from time to time to recuperate, and they have to allow Leonard to protect his body through a lot of rest.

Old guys need to huddle together for warmth. When the two seniors in the starting lineup have some physical problems, the 40-year-old Paul has to lead the senior substitute army to beat the opponent violently in the transition period of the game to maintain the stability of the record. When the 40-year-old Paul can no longer win, the two veteran stars in the starting lineup should adopt the attitude of "just fight a few games a year" and grit their teeth to win.. This is this year's Clippers, a team full of humanistic care and mutual help.

As for the playoffs, Director Lu and the Clippers management have not considered such distant matters. In the playoffs last season, in the seven games against the Nuggets in the first round, Harden and Leonard were "sometimes good and sometimes not good". They can indeed grit their teeth and return to their peak selves in a short period of time, but the magic has a time limit and has a backlash. In order to compete for a game, they need to slow down for at least 4 days, and this is the amount for 2 games. This year, Powell, as the Clippers' starter, was traded away. The 32-year-old Beal, the 37-year-old Luo and the 40-year-old Paul. Do they really have the energy to compete in the playoffs?

In a roundabout way, Paul is back. Coming back with Paul, maybe the second round of the playoffs, the mixed emotions of sadness and joy.