OKC Thunder: Chris Paul is mentoring Dennis Schroder

Watching the game against the Golden State Warriors, Chris Paul is trying to develop Dennis Schroder during games.

Chris Paul is the vocal on-court leader of the OKC Thunder. As it is, in his 15th season, he has learned a thing or two about the game. On inbounds, he is the voice making sure his team has the best defensive coverage against set plays. However, it is the work Paul is putting in with the other point guards which are going to hold the OKC Thunder in good stead.

It is obvious that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is soaking up the knowledge, he is learning in practice, in games and probably in his sleep. Dennis Schroder has been in the league longer and is slipping back into old habits. Fortunately, when Paul talks to him on court and you can see the change, almost instantaneously.

Just prior to the end of the first half against the Golden State Warriors, Schroder was bouncing the ball, looking to make an iso-move. Paul is screaming at him from outside the 3-point line, at about 45 degrees. Paul does not have anyone within six feet of him. He could not have been more open. Eventually, Schroder passes the ball to Paul, but the opportunity has closed as a defender picks up Paul.

The ball goes back to Schroder who makes a tremendous drive, making a great shot with a foul. When he gets up, Paul is over in his ear the whole time. Obviously talking about keeping the ball, and therefore the defense moving. In the next play, Paul calls for the ball as it is the final play of the half. He is going to play iso-ball for the play but will not let Schroder, who had to give the ball up to him.

In the second half, Schroder came out a different player, promoting ball movement and helping extend the lead over the hapless Warriors, like he was earlier in the game where he found Nerlens Noel for the alley-oop.

This was after Noel found him with the bullet pass on the back cut.

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However, the play, which typifies what Paul was talking about, was the two-man play on the wing between Schroder and Gilgeous-Alexander.

Schroder saw Gilgeous-Alexander open in the corner, passing the ball to him. As Gilgeous-Alexander was closed out, he passed back to Schroder. This happened twice more until Gilgeous-Alexander found a little bit of space for the score. Now, the game was over by this point, so why do I think that it is so important. Good habits are the simple answer.

It does not matter at what point the game is, Paul is trying to instill in the young OKC Thunder point guards that you keep with the plan the whole game. This stops the major comebacks and disappointments that come with that.

It is difficult to tell how many games the OKC Thunder are going to win. I, for one, do not mind if the Thunder miss the playoffs this season, as long as the fundamentals are instilled in the team for greater success in the future. The Chris Paul era is going to make that happen.