Getty Chris Paul
Will Chris Paul Start?
That remains the million-dollar question for the Golden State Warriors as they head to their training camp from October 3 to 6 at Chase Center after their Media Day on October 2.
“We basically have six starters,” Steve Kerr told reporters on Monday (h/t The Athletic’s Anthony Slater). “I mean, the way I look at it, and only five can go each night, so I haven’t decided yet.”
Kerr is still in a wait-and-see mode as he would rather see firsthand how Paul meshes with the Warriors’ championship core before deciding.
“What we’re going to do I [is] want to see training camp [first]. We’re going to try different combinations and take a look,” Kerr said. “Obviously, all six guys are going to play a lot of minutes for us.”
Kerr referred to Paul and long-time starters Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney.
“But, you know, if this is going to work, then everybody has to embrace it, regardless of who’s starting and who’s not and it only works if the whole team buys in and I know these guys will,” Kerr said.
“I know five of them really well. And I’m getting to know Chris and one thing I know about all of them is they want to win more than anything hurt, incredibly competitive group. And I’m very confident that we’ll figure it out and the guys will buy in and find a winner,” he continued.
Warriors fans will have their first glimpse of the Paul experiment on October 7 when they host conference rival Los Angeles Lakers, who eliminated them in six games in the second round of the last NBA playoffs.
Warriors Nix Adding Dwight Howard
The Warriors held against adding veteran center Dwight Howard following his two-day workout and meeting with their top brass, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Golden State Warriors’ decision on signing a vet center such as Dwight Howard:
The Warriors chose flexibility over a 37-year-old insurance depth at the center spot.
Howard, spotted training with Green and Paul in Los Angeles after his Warriors meeting, posted a cryptic tweet on X (formerly Twitter) following the report of his failed bid to re-enter the NBA.
“Only as a WARRIOR can one withstand the path of knowledge. A WARRIOR cannot complain or regret anything. His life is an endless challenge. And challenges cannot possibly be good or bad. Challenges are simply challenges. Go be [Great] [emojis],” Howard said in his post on X (formerly Twitter).
Pacers Take a Flier on Ex-Warriors Big Man
Former Warriors big man Jordan Bell signed a training camp deal with the Indiana Pacers, according to Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto.
Bell is expected to play for the Pacers’ G League affiliate Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
The 28-year-old journeyman spent his first two seasons in the NBA with the Warriors after they selected him in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft. As a rookie, he won a championship with the Warriors, averaging 4.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 57 games, including 13 starts. He could not make a fitting follow-up to his promising rookie season and soon found himself bouncing around the league.