Paul's long-standing attitude problems are a thing of the past

Chris Paul's Silver and Black debut is in the books and has been filled with mixed reviews. While some were happy with his pass-first approach, others were bothered by his early passivity and poor shooting when he decided to score a few goals. He was 1/6 from the field but had eight assists and seven rebounds. It wasn't perfect, but it was very good and what you might have expected.

Paul doesn't age 10 years just because the ball was tipped. He is 39 years old and was brought in to help organize and direct the offense. He won't take 15 shots a game, and there will be nights like this where he struggles with efficiency. The latter happens to every player, but even more so when they are older.

What was more uncertain was how CP3 would behave if coach Popovich scolded him in the middle of the game. Paul is known to have been, shall we say, “feisty” with his teammates and coaches, and everyone knows how aggressive Pop can be when giving instructions. Luckily, it didn't take long for us to figure out that we don't have to worry about this relationship.

Chris Paul has long been one of the game's top competitors. Although he has never won a championship, you would be hard-pressed to find an athlete who competed against him in his prime who would say a bad word about his drive. But his talent was also through the roof. He's one of the best point guards in NBA history, and that skill sometimes comes with attitude.

These players often find that others don't work as hard as them and that annoys them. They light a fire beneath you just as quickly, if not faster, than a carriage. That fiery personality is exactly what you worry about in a culture like the Spurs, where Coach Pop is the fire while the players hold each other accountable in more constructive ways.

To be fair, great players often respect coaches who have already established themselves as great coaches, and Popovich surpassed that barometer long ago. Regardless, it's good to know that their relationship will be about collaboration, not working with each other.

This makes the decision to bring him in at this stage of his career even better as you get the knowledge and mastery without any fuss. This dynamic will be the perfect season of growth for the young people – with lots of victories under their belt.