Getty Chris Paul attends and an NBA Summer League bout between the Golden State Warriors and the New Orleans Pelicans.
While the core of the Golden State Warriors remains firmly in place heading into the 2023-24 NBA season, there was a significant level of change around the middle of the club’s roster this summer. The clear headliner there was the move to trade Jordan Poole for future Hall of Famer Chris Paul.
In a vacuum, Paul has the potential to be a better fit for the win-now Warriors than the 24-year-old Poole, who struggled to find his spot during the team’s ill-fated playoff run a few months back. That’s not to say, though, that there aren’t questions about how Golden State will be integrating CP3.
Even at age 38, Paul would probably start at the point guard for most of the teams in the Association. However, that’s not the case for the Dubs so long as one Wardell Stephen Curry is captaining the ship. So, what exactly will Paul’s role be in the Bay?
“To help us win games,” Paul told The Brunswick News’ Scott Fowler in an interview published Thursday.
Sounds simple enough, right? Right?! Yeah, not so much.
Chris Paul May Be Averse to Coming off the Bench for the Warriors
The subject of Paul coming off the bench was broached during the baller’s introductory press conference with the Warriors earlier this month. And while he said he’s all about winning in the Fowler piece, he seemed to push back during the scrum when a reporter suggested to him that he’d likely be playing with the second unit.
“You coaching?” Paul responded jokingly (or maybe not?). “Okay, well I don’t know what the situation is going to be yet. I think that’ll be for us to figure out once we get going.”
Pressed for more thoughts about potentially coming off the bench, Paul had this to say:
“Like I said, it’ll be a conversation for us when camp starts … me and [Warriors coach Steve Kerr] have talked or whatnot but that ain’t something you’d be like, ‘What up man? Are you starting or [coming off the bench]?’ You know what I mean? So, I think we’ll figure all that stuff out in camp.”
At the absolute least, CP3 doesn’t appear to be volunteering for a backup role. Meanwhile, Warriors owner Joe Lacob was deferential to Kerr when asked about Paul’s spot during a recent interview with The Mercury News’ Madeline Kenney.
“That’s up to the coaches,” Lacob told Kenney. “I’m sure they’re talking about it, but who knows? He might start, he might not. … The point is to get a lot of talent out there and to see [what happens]. Who starts doesn’t really matter anyway, it’s who finishes the game.”
CP3 on His Hardwood Legacy
While capturing that elusive championship ring has been Paul’s primary goal in recent years, he doesn’t seem to believe that winning a chip or not will define him in the hardwood annals. For him, setting a good example and leaving a living legacy is what it’s all about.
“I think my legacy is just that I played the game the right way. And I was appreciative and brought more to the game that I took away, especially when it comes to off the court, as far as trying to make sure that guys are educated,” Paul told Fowler.
“And I hope my legacy would be my AAU program (Team CP3) and the kids that continue to play in the league after I’m gone.”