Getty Chris Paul #3 of the Golden State Warriors shoots over Jusuf Nurkic' #20 of the Phoenix Suns.
Steve Kerr was effusive in his praise of Chris Paul following the 38-year-old guard’s Golden State Warriors debut — a tough 108-104 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
“Oh my gosh, he’s so good,” Kerr said of Paul on 95.7 The Game on Thursday, October 26. “I mean, he is just in control of every possession.”
“He’s got such a great feel for what’s happening on the floor where his teammates are, who needs to get the ball when and where,” Kerr continued.
Paul dished out nine assists and scored 14 points in 34 minutes during his highly anticipated debut. Paul was at his best in the third quarter when he quarterbacked the team to wipe out a 15-point Suns halftime lead with Stephen Curry on the bench with four fouls.
“There’s a reason he’s one of the great point guards of all time, and even at [38], he’s just kept himself in great shape and still playing at a really high level,” Kerr said.
While Paul’s debut ended in a tough loss, he gave the Warriors something they didn’t have in the past — a dependable playmaker outside Curry. Paul precisely organized the Warriors’ offense as he turned the ball over only once.
“So. I’m excited because he’s going to give us a different dimension. You know, frankly, we needed at this particular time in our run,’ Kerr said. “I’ve said this a few times in preseason that we need to take care of the ball better.”
“We could get away with a lot of the turnovers four or five years ago because we were so talented, but this team, with the margins, are a little slimmer. We’ve got to win some of those battles, turnovers being one of them, and Chris will help us do that,” he added.
The Warriors only had 11 turnovers, resulting in more possessions for them. They had 101 shot attempts to the Suns’ 95 despite getting outrebounded. They only need to clean up their shooting. Their 35.6% shooting is bound to improve as Paul gets comfortable within the system.
More Space for Chris Paul
While it was a solid debut, Paul still could have done better. But he missed all six attempts from the 3-point arc. He was surprised at times by how much space and freedom he got.
“I’m just excited to tell you the truth,” Paul told reporters after the game. “There were a lot of good things we did, a lot of not-so-great things, but the freedom — the pull-up 3s that I got a chance to shoot.”
Chalk it up to opening night jitters.
“When you’re playing with know guys that shoot as good as Stephen Curry consistently, I think the more games you just get, the more comfortable you get of being aggressive, finding that balance.”
Jay Williams Projects Warriors to Be a Play-in Team
Despite Paul’s addition, former basketball player-turned-ESPN analyst Jay Williams.
“The Golden State Warriors will be in the play-in tournament,” Williams said on the “First Take” via NBC Sports. “We all agree that Stephen Curry has to be the Finals MVP for this team to win a championship, correct? He’s turning 36 years old in March.”
“The only player 36 years and older to win a Finals MVP is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Their age, they’re on the wrong side of age. Median age in your prime is 28 years old. Klay [Thompson] and Draymond [Green], 33 years old, turning 34. Also, you talk about [Chris Paul], 38 years old. That’s a big thing for them, age. Age is a major thing,” Williams continued.
For Williams, the Warriors’ aging core and lack of depth will be their undoing this season.