Point guard Chris Paul was traded to the Golden State Warriors this offseason, and many believe that this is a trade that can bring them back to their championship ways, Paul gives the team an element of leadership, and a more veteran presence.
There has been a lot of debate about what role Chris Paul will play with the Golden State Warriors. Many have expected that Paul will be the backup to Stephen Curry. However, a recent report revealed that Chris Paul is expected to start for the team.
“I do expect him to start. I think they’re gonna try it. This isn’t a opinion, this is just what I’m hearing.”
It will be interesting to see the rest of the Warriors’ starting lineup. It is quite likely that the Warriors will start Draymond Green at the center position due to his defensive prowess, with Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins next to him. The Warriors’ strength has always been small ball, and this lineup would allow them to truly lean into it.
This past season, Chris Paul averaged 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game while shooting 37.5% from 3PT range. He can definitely be an impactful player for the Warriors, and we’ll see how he does next season.
The Warriors Don’t Plan To Trade Chris Paul
As of right now, the Golden State Warriors are likely excited to have Chris Paul on the squad. In fact, Warriors owner Joe Lacob got real on the team’s plans for Chris Paul, noting that the team isn’t actively trying to move him.
‘There’s a lot of possibilities,” Lacob said per Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. “… But I don’t think our goal, quite frankly, is to trade Chris Paul away or do something with that contract. We like the idea of having Chris Paul on the team. And we’re excited about it. So let’s see what happens, how it works, and how successful we are, and we’ll take it from there.”
Hopefully, we see Chris Paul help the Golden State Warriors become contenders once again next year. His pick and roll skills and playmaking will give the offense more diversity, something that the team desperately needed this season.
Chris Paul Has Never Come Off The Bench In His Career
Throughout his career, Chris Paul has never come off the bench. It makes sense for the Warriors to allow him to prove his worth as a starter first, before potentially benching him in the future. Chris Paul has played 1363 games without coming off the bench, and that won’t change at the start of the Warriors’ season.
If Chris Paul can’t show his effectiveness as a starter however, then a bench role makes sense for him. He could run the second unit as the designated sixth man, and perhaps he could even win the Sixth Man of the Year award. However, he could easily succeed as a starter, especially playing next to Stephen Curry.