5 Warriors that have failed to meet expectations this season

Chris Paul

Last summer, Chris Paul was in a perplexing situation. After the Suns traded him to the Wizards, there was much uncertainty as to whether he would remain in Washington on a non-contending team. With multiple contenders like the Lakers and Celtics reportedly showing interest in the future Hall-of-Famer, it was shaping up to be a bidding war.

When the Warriors became the team to pull off a trade with the Wizards for CP3, it was instantly viewed as a genius move by many. After all, Paul had been consistently making his teams better even into the later years of his career. The Rockets, Thunder, and Suns all reached a higher level in the late 2010s and early 2020s with CP on their rosters.

The thought was that Chris would be a near-perfect fit next to the likes of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in the backcourt, and would become the distributor they needed to make them a West contender once again. Instead, injuries and other inconsistencies have made him less effective than initially envisioned.

Missing nearly two full months in January and February, Paul's surgery for his left hand was a major blow to the Warriors' depth. But even when he has been healthy, he has not looked quite like the Chris Paul we all know and love. He is the third-oldest player in the league, and there is no telling how soon he might decide to hang it up.