It might still be weird for some people to see Chris Paul in a Golden State Warriors jersey.
Paul tried to foil the Warriors’ championship runs during their peak, but now he’s teammates with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Curry also expects his former rivals to play at a high level this season despite being 38.
In an interview with 95.7 The Game’s Whitley Sandretto, Curry discussed his expectations with the team now that they have someone of Paul’s caliber. He explained that it would take some time for the adjustments but expects CP3 to do it seamlessly:
“He’s such a high IQ guy, knows how to play the game, knows how to make people around him better. He’s done that his whole career. There’s no reason that’s not going to continue with us.”
Some Golden State Warriors fans were shocked when the team acquired Chris Paul in the offseason in exchange for three young players. The Warriors sent Jordan Poole, Ryan Rollins and Patrick Baldwin Jr. to the Washington Wizards for an aging superstar point guard.
In fact, Paul will be the second-oldest player in the NBA this season, behind LeBron James. However, that didn’t deter Golden State from trading for him to extend the championship window for the “Big 3.”
The addition of Paul is a risky decision for new general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., but it’s also a high-reward situation, as the 38-year-old guard remains one of the best point guards in the league.
He could slow things down when needed while also giving the Warriors offense a different look.
The Warriors’ offense now has layers, and coach Steve Kerr could use different styles against different teams. Steph Curry will remain as the focal point, with Paul best suited as a closer or even as a sixth man feeding young players like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.
Chris Paul open to coming off the bench for Golden State
There were some concerns about Chris Paul’s possible role for the Golden State Warriors this season. There were reports about Paul not wanting to come off the bench even though it might be the best role for him due to his age and injury history.
On the Warriors’ media day on Monday, Paul discussed the possibility of being a sixth man, and it seems like he’s open to the idea. He doesn’t care about the role he plays as long as he’s winning:
“I think anybody who knows me knows I’m all about winning. Whatever I can do to help our team win. I know coach (Steve Kerr) and us, we are going to talk about it and see what he likes. We’ve been hooping all summer. I think for the season it’s going to be whatever to help our team win.”