3 reasons why Spurs can make the playoffs after Chris Paul joins Victor Wembanyama

After getting waived by the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, veteran point guard Chris Paul quickly reached a contract agreement with the San Antonio Spurs. Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the 12-time All-Star intends to sign a one-year, $11 million-plus deal with the franchise.

While well past his prime, Paul projects to be a difference-maker for San Antonio's young roster, headlined by rising star center Victor Wembanyama. If all goes right, he could even help the team make a surprise postseason appearance following this past season's 14th-place (22-60) Western Conference finish.

On that note, here are three reasons Wembanyama and Co. might take a sizeable leap next season.

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3 reasons Victor Wembanyama-led Spurs could make surprise postseason appearance after Chris Paul signing

#3 Chris Paul's veteran leadership

San Antonio sorely lacked veteran leadership this past season. Fortunately, Paul is renowned as one of the league's top veteran leaders, with experience shepherding young squads.

In 2019, Paul was shipped to the OKC Thunder after they decided to move on from their star duo of Russell Westbrook and Paul George. Afterward, OKC was expected to have a down year as it attempted to reroute Paul to a new home.

Instead, he helped guide the rebuilding Thunder to the West's fifth seed (44-28). They later took the win-now Houston Rockets to seven games in the 2020 playoffs' first round, nearly completing an upset.

While Paul is already 39, he could have a similar effect on the Spurs' young core of Wembanyama, wing Devin Vassell and rookie guard Stephon Castle. At the very least, he should provide them with valuable mentorship that will pay dividends for years to come.

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#2 Victor Wembanyama could reach another level offensively

Despite playing without an established point guard, Wembanyama is coming off what most consider an all-time great rookie season.

Over 71 games, he averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals, 3.6 blocks and 1.8 3-pointers per game, shooting 46.5%. The French phenom established himself as a two-way force, finishing second in this year's Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Wembanyama and the rest of the Spurs' young players should benefit from internal growth next season regardless of Paul's presence. However, the veteran point guard's playmaking could accelerate Wembanyama's offensive development.

Paul averaged 6.8 assists to just 1.3 turnovers per game over 58 outings with Golden State. So, he will likely set up the 7-foot-4 big man for numerous easy finishes around the rim.

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#1 Spurs could benefit from the play-in tournament

San Antonio is unlikely to jump directly from 14th in the West to a top-eight seed. However, it could be a beneficiary of the play-in tournament.

The Spurs only need to secure a top-10 finish to have a shot at the playoffs. Houston nearly pulled off a similar play-in berth this past season after placing 14th (22-60) in the West the year prior. The Rockets jumped from 22 wins to 41 wins, finishing 11th.

Multiple veteran West teams, including the LA Clippers and Golden State, have since lost key pieces in free agency. So, the Spurs could sneak into the conference's top 10. If so, Wembanyama's two-way dominance could be enough to carry them to success in the win-or-go-home play-in format.

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