Over the years, Chris Paul and the Warriors haven’t exactly been best friends.
The Golden State buzz saw, which has won four championships in the last 10 years, has encountered the future Hall of Fame point guard much too frequently in the Western Conference. Paul-led teams and the Warriors have gained respect from their heated playoff matches, but there haven’t been any lasting connections between them.
Everything changed this week when the Warriors acquired Paul in exchange for guard Jordan Poole from the Wizards. In the deal that sent Bradley Beal to Phoenix, Paul had just been dealt to Washington. Paul will now work with the group.
Coach Steve Kerr said this week to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic that “we’re going to be a lot different.” The last thing I’m going to say about a team that just won a championship and battled through a challenging season is anything ended the year with a bang and ran hard.
I’ve cherished the group we’ve had for the past few years.But the most important thing is that we realized we needed a change. Not that we required an overhaul, but we did require a change. Everyone in the company, in my opinion, felt that. And it feels like we’ve changed a lot while maintaining our identity and sense of who we are.
Paul, who is 38 years old, still has a ton of energy, as seen by his averages of 13.9 points and 8.9 assists per game from the previous season. Additionally, although playing a different position on the team, he adds a toughness quality that might complement that of veteran Warrior Draymond Green.
Green’s return to Golden State is not guaranteed, though, since he chose not to exercise his player option for the upcoming season. Paul at least offers insurance in that area in case Green decides to play elsewhere.
The basketball fit of Paul, who has often excelled in a slower-paced half-court pick-and-roll offense, will be interesting to see anyway. In the latter stages of his career, he will now transition into a quick-moving offensive.
Will he change his approach to suit the Warriors’ advantages? As they bring the future Hall of Famer into the fold for the upcoming season, Kerr and the front office undoubtedly hope so.
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