Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul came off the bench for the first time in his career on Sunday, and was productive in his minutes. This is a sacrifice Paul was willing to make for the team, as the Warriors seek to maximize their lineup combinations.
Speaking with Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Paul said, “It works. It gives us a bigger lineup. I’ve never been on a team probably with this type of depth. I’ve been on really good teams, don’t get it twisted. But not necessarily where you could say: ‘All these guys can start.’ And I think last year that was the best starting five in the league.”
While it would be easy for Paul to become less vocal on and off the court with this move to the bench, the veteran point guard told Slater he is remaining who he has always been, which is an over-communicator.
There were some who felt Paul may not be open to a bench role because of his comments before the season, asking a reporter if she was the coach when she implied he’d be off the bench, but Paul explained that interaction to Slater as well.
“It was over-exaggerated because I’ll tell you this: It wasn’t a question,” Paul said. “She made a statement. I know what the media is like. I know what I said in there. I know what bullet points gonna be taken from that.”
More than willing to come off the bench for his team, Paul has accepted this role gracefully.