Golden State Warriors raised eyebrows when they agreed to trade away their biggest asset in Jordan Poole for Chris Paul, but his intangibles may give the Warriors what they need to compete, according to NBA writer Mark Medina.
Golden State Warriors news – Chris Paul
Thirty-eight-year-old veteran Chris Paul has enjoyed a successful career from an individual standpoint, with many accolades to his name, but has yet to win the ultimate prize of an NBA championship.
Set to enter his 19th NBA season, CP3 is hoping that by joining up with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, the team led by Steve Kerr will be able to compete for a championship once again in 2023-24, giving Paul likely his last genuine chance of winning a ring.
According to Jovan Alford of The Sporting News, the Warriors’ NBA championship odds shortened from +1300 to +1200 after the news of the trade broke around the league, showing that it is widely believed that the 6’0″ guard will make them a better team.
With Paul possessing one of the highest basketball I.Q.’s in the league, head coach Kerr believes that he can help the Warriors unlock a variety of offensive options.
Speaking to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic about the 2023 playoffs, Kerr admitted that the team mainly relied on high pick-and-rolls over and over again. With the ‘point-god’ on the floor, they can be a lot more versatile with Curry off-the-ball, which in turn will take pressure off of his shoulders to create.
With the Hall of Fame destined to be in the 12x All-Star’s future, if he doesn’t add a championship on his illustrious resume, it may be something that follows him forever.
What does Mark Medina think about the influence Chris Paul can have on this Warriors team?
Medina believes that CP3’s impact could be just as influential as 2015 finals MVP Andre Iguodala’s was when he played for the Warriors.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said: “Chris Paul very well might be their next Andre Iguodala, where they’re valuing him for more of his intangibles and his locker room presence, and then lean on him in those high stakes games to complement really what makes the engine go with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.”
The Andre Iguodala Effect
Andre Iguodala will go down in Warriors history for being the ultimate impact player. Mainly coming off the bench as the sixth man, his scoring heroics in the 2015 NBA finals vs. LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers saw the Warriors claim their first of four championships in eight seasons, and the second in franchise history.
But it wasn’t just his prolific bench scoring that aided the success of Dub Nation.
According to Alec Nathan of Bleacher Report, Iguodala’s mere presence on the court meant that Curry could play off the ball more often due to his ability to facilitate, meaning Curry and Thompson were able to solely focus on shooting.
Add that to his disruptive lock-down perimeter defense, and he was a key complementary piece to an NBA dynasty that won four championships between 2015-2022.
This level of influence is comparable with the roles that CP3 has taken on as he has evolved throughout the career, with him being a primary decision maker and ball handler, capable of threading the needle and creating easy scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Although his methodical style of play is being able to slowly and strategically break down defenses, while the Warriors mainly operate a fast-pace offense, it might provide the team with the much needed “shift” without sacrificing their identity.
CP3 may just be the perfect replacement in both ability and leadership experience off-the-court for the 39-year-old Iguodala, whose presence in the team was invaluable and will surely be missed after retiring from the league.
Being a Warrior gives both Chris Paul and the team the best chance of getting that coveted Larry O’Brien trophy, and with the scoring prowess of Curry and Thompson and the elite playmaking of Paul and Draymond Green, there is no better time than now to pursue it.