Is the Chris Paul effect still a real thing after a season with Warriors?

CP3 is notorious for making teams better when he joins them. Did he do the same for the Dubs?

Chris Paul is one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history. He’s a true point guard who came into the league battling the likes of Steve Nash, Tony Parker, Chauncey Billups, Jason Kidd, and Rajon Rondo before ultimately cementing himself as an elite floor raiser for whichever franchise was blessed to have him.

But don’t take my word for it, according to the San Francisco Chronicle the CP3 effect is documented:

The Chris Paul Effect is real, and here is proof to support its existence. Paul is the only player in NBA history to be part of four teams that set franchise records for wins in a season. He did it with the New Orleans Hornets, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Houston Rockets, and more recently with the Phoenix Suns.

2007-08: New Orleans Hornets | 56-26

2013-14: LA Clippers | 57-25

2017-18: Houston Rockets | 65-17

2021-22: Phoenix Suns | 63-16

And although in his lone season with the Oklahoma City Thunder they didn’t set their franchise record for wins in a season, they marginally improved under his leadership in a season where they lost Russell Westbrook and Paul George. Surrounded by a lot of young and unproven talent, Paul willed them to a playoff berth. I dug even deeper to find out more of Paul’s impact on teams, not only when he’s there but also after he leaves. Check out how he impacted OKC:

2019-20 OKC Thunder: 44-28 (.611 win percentage) – Equal to 50 wins in 82 game season.

2020-21 OKC Thunder: 22-50 (.306 win percentage) – Equal to 25 wins in 82 game season

After Paul left, the OKC Thunder won 25 fewer games in the 2020-21 season.

Average win percentage for last season with Chris Paul: 61.0%

Average win percentage the season after Chris Paul leaves: 43.7%

Wow! So let’s see his impact on the the Dubs. Did you know the Warriors were 33-25 in games Paul played this season? That’s a win percentage of 56%! That’s also Golden State’s overall win percentage this season, which was good bad enough for a 10th seed. CP3 missed a large chunk of the season with injuries, we can only imagine how good the Dubs would have been if he were available.

Funny enough, Golden State won 44 games last season for a win percentage of 53% and were the 6th seed. So technically, one could argue that CP3 did in fact boost the Warriors this season (the CP3 effect lives on!).