Steve Kerr’s assessment on Golden State Warriors’ trade for Chris Paul

The Golden State Warriors set their two-timeline plan in flames on Thursday, acquiring Chris Paul from the Washington Wizards for a package that included Jordan Poole and future draft picks.

Steve Kerr feels that the Golden State Warriors needed a change, calling the acquisition of veteran point-guard Chris Paul a “positive shift”.

Following the shocking draft day trade, Steve Kerr was interviewed by the media and was asked to give his thoughts. While he was unable to mention Paul or Poole specifically given the trade is yet to be made official, the four-time championship-winning coach clearly sees it as a move in the right direction.

"“We’re going to be a lot different,” Kerr told Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. “The biggest point is that we sensed we needed a shift. Didn’t mean we needed an overhaul, but we needed a shift of some sort. I think everybody in the organization sensed that. And it feels like we’ve made a pretty significant shift without giving up our identity and our sense of who we are as a team. I think, all in all, it’s a very positive shift.”"

Reading between the lines, it’s quite easy to pick up what Kerr is putting down. The Warriors felt that they were losing their identity down the stretch of the season. The group’s chemistry was clearly off, and that disconnect reflected on the court in the form of subpar shot selection, shoddy defense, and poor late game execution.

As the playoffs progressed, Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga took offense to their lack of playing time, and their negative energy was somewhat infectious as the team’s morale sunk as a result.

The media didn’t help matters by poking and prying for controversial statements from teammates and coaches, but the younger guys displayed a lack of professionalism that the Warriors had no tolerance for.

At one point things got so bad that in an attempt to galvanize his teammates, Stephen Curry delivered what Draymond Green called “his best speech ever,” pleading for his younger teammates to buy in to the bigger picture, and basically telling them to quit their whining.

It’s no surprise that Coach Kerr favored Moses Moody over Poole and Kuminga when the Warriors turned to their second unit. Coaches and teammates repeatedly praised Moody for his work ethic and professionalism in practice, and when his opportunity came, Moody gave the Dubs some great minutes on both ends of the floor.

Now, the Warriors have rid themselves of Poole’s ugly contract, while acquiring one of the most intelligent floor generals in NBA history. Chris Paul may be entering the final stages of his career, but ‘The Point God’ is still hungry for his first ever championship ring. With Curry as a backcourt mate, Paul will play less minutes and shoulder less of the playmaking responsibility, putting him in position to be better prepared for a playoff run.

Golden State will never have to worry about CP3 complaining about his playing time or anything of that nature because as an 18-year NBA veteran, he understands the sacrifices that come with playing winning basketball. It’s a risky win-now move for the Warriors, but it’s a clear personality change that should do them well moving forward.