Stephon Marbury knows the value of an elite running mate.

From his early days with the Minnesota Timberwolves through the twilight of his NBA career in New York, the two-time All-Star was almost always joined by at least one quality scorer.

With the Timberwolves, Marbury was surrounded by two talented forwards, young Kevin Garnett and Tom Gugliotta, at the peak of his 13-year NBA career. In New Jersey, Marbury and Keith Van Horn carried the scoring load for some subpar Nets teams.

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On the Phoenix Suns, Marbury and a young Shawn Marion led average teams before another pair of youngsters, Joe Johnson and Amar’e Stoudemire, began to blossom. During Marbury’s stint with the New York Knicks, the leading scorers were a rotating cast of characters, from Jamal Crawford to Eddy Curry.

So, by breaking down some of the league’s best players and duos on Monday’s episode of “Scoop B Radio” with Brandon “Scoop B” RobinsonIt is not surprising that the San Antonio Spurs came up in the conversation.

Amid the talk of Anthony Edwards and Jalen Brunson, there was a brief discussion of the Spurs. Like most of the national media with regard to Gregg Popovich’s team, Marbury was excited about San Antonio, particularly the duo of Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama, which formed when Paul signed a one-year, $11 million contract with the Spurs last July.

“First of all, let me tell you…how thrilled Coach Pop was to bring in Chris Paul,” Marbury said.

Western Conference head coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs talks with guard Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers

February 16, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Western Conference head coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs talks with guard Chris Paul (3) of the Los Angeles Clippers during practice for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game at the George R. Brown Convention Center. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The move makes sense, considering the Spurs have almost always had a stable point guard under Popovich, from Avery Johnson to Tony Parker to Dejounte Murray. Now Paul is taking over as the offensive quarterback.

Most of Paul’s career has seen him play in situations that ultimately proved successful; each of Paul’s previous six teams made the playoffs while he was there, or in the case of the Golden State Warriors last season, made the play-in tournament.

Marbury sees an equally bright future in San Antonio.

“Let me tell you how great it was for Chris Paul to directly revitalize his career Again. It’s like he’s the luckiest leader Never every two or three years!” Marbury said. “He gets great opportunities. He is somewhere now doing hand and ankle exercises.

LEARN MORE: Chris Paul understands expectations and knows what he wants with Spurs

Paul and Wembanyama could prove extremely effective in two areas: the fastbreak and the pick-and-roll. After all, Paul played quarterback for the Lob City Clippers and built a deadly alley-oop connection with Clint Capela in Houston.

This is especially exciting because the Spurs weren’t strong in either aspect of the game, even with the addition of Wembanyama. San Antonio finished in the bottom half of the league in pick-and-roll points per possession (0.85, t-23rd) and transition points per possession (1.12, t-18th) per NBA.com.

The prospect of a Paul-Wembanyama duo had Marbury so excited that his praise included some of the best duos and top-flight players of the 21st century, including one of Marbury’s former teammates.

“Unbelievable,” he said. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. It’s like having Jason Kidd with Vince Carter, [Desmond] Mason. This guy is one of those guys who jumps high, catches lobs and runs down the field… Shawn Marion too.

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) tries to deflect the ball into the net as Toronto Raptors RJ Barrett (9) looks on.

February 12, 2024; Toronto, ON, CAN; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) attempts to deflect the ball into the net as Toronto Raptors RJ Barrett (9) looks on during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Overall, Marbury is excited to see what the Silver & Black can accomplish this season. He had some great catches Monday, but perhaps the biggest one of all?

He said that Wembanyama will be the face of the NBA for years to come.

“There’s no doubt about it,” the former player said.

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