Veteran point-guard Chris Paul was officially unveiled as a new member of the Golden State Warriors in Las Vegas on Sunday, addressing the media in preparation for a new life with his sixth NBA team.
At 38-years-old and entering the 19th year of his career, Paul has experienced just about everything the league has to offer. However, his move to the Warriors will undoubtedly throw up new challenges for the future hall-of-famer.
Chris Paul doesn’t appear thrilled with speculation he’ll be taking over the sixth-man duties at the Golden State Warriors next season.
With Paul traded for incumbent Golden State sixth-man Jordan Poole, many have assumed the 12-time All-Star will simply take the reigns as deputy to superstar point-guard Stephen Curry. But when a reporter presumed as much on Sunday, Paul smartly responded, ‘you coaching?’
Paul would go on to delve a little further into the speculation of him coming off the bench next season, suggesting it was a conversation he and head coach Steve Kerr would have later down the track.
"“I don’t know what the situation going to be yet. I think that’ll be for us to figure out once we get going…It’ll be a conversation for us when camp starts. Me and Steve have talked but that ain’t something where it’s, ‘what up, man? You starting or coming off the bench.”"
Chris Paul responds to potentially coming off the Warriors’ bench: pic.twitter.com/FbDd0SGqLm
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) July 10, 2023
An 11-time All-NBA team member, Paul is yet to come off the bench for a single game during his illustrious career to date. However, with time running out on his chances of winning a maiden NBA championship, one can only assume it’s a transition he’ll have to make at some point.
Starting Paul would likely mean pushing starting center Kevon Looney back to the bench, leaving the Warriors not only incredibly disadvantaged size-wise, but simply quite old with only one player (Andrew Wiggins) below the age of 33.
Golden State will be hoping Paul can strengthen a second-unit that struggled mightily at times last season. He’ll be aided by former Phoenix teammate Dario Saric who has joined the franchise on a one-year, minimum deal in free agency.
Paul was in attendance for the Warriors’ Summer League game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night, sitting alongside the likes of Curry, Jonathan Kuminga and Gary Payton II during the team’s 94-86 loss.