3 aspects to watch for in Golden State Warriors preseason opener v Lakers

2. Chris Paul as an off-ball threat

Chris Paul’s debut with the Warriors, even if it’s just preseason, will be one of the most anticipated games across the league. Seeing the former foe in a Golden State jersey will be surreal for many, even if we’ve had months and now media day/training camp to acclimatize to the idea.

Stephen Curry described his offensive fit with Paul as ‘seamless’ on Thursday, that despite the obvious stylistic differences between the two great point-guards. The two-time MVP revealed that Paul had been running the break and shooting off-the-catch effectively, although Warrior fans will still hold some skepticism until they see that in game.

There should be some optimism on Paul’s off-ball shooting though given it was an area he leant more into with the Phoenix Suns last season. His 1.5 catch-and-shoot three-point attempts per game were the highest of his last eight seasons, with the 18-year veteran knocking down a highly effective 52.3% on those shots.

Playing alongside Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins, there’s no reason Paul shouldn’t be able to get even more open looks. Can he run and be a spot-up threat in transition though, or even make cuts to the basket once in a while? These are the elements that make Paul’s fit with Golden State so intriguing.

In reality, one preseason game is hardly going to be enough data to do any analysis of the Paul acquisition. However, given this has been such a long wait, you know many will be overreacting regardless of whether his play is good, bad or indifferent.