Warriors have surprising plan for Chris Paul?
Apr 26, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) against the New Orleans Pelicans during game five of the first round for the 2022 NBA playoffs at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Golden State Warriors may be throwing conventional wisdom to the wind with their recent acquisition of Chris Paul.
In an appearance this week on KNBR’s “Murph and Mac Podcast,” Marc J. Spears of Andscape reported that the Warriors plan to start Paul next year and move Kevon Looney to the bench for a super small starting five.
“What I’m being told is that the expectation is that [Paul] is gonna start,” said Spears. “I think it would be Loon [who sits in that case]. So a really, really small lineup to start with.”
Here is the full clip where Spears discusses the Paul situation.
Marc J. Spears says he's been told Chris Paul will start and Kevon Looney will come off the bench pic.twitter.com/gThbtc64Hq
— KNBR (@KNBR) June 27, 2023
For Paul, who was just acquired by Golden State in a big trade with the Washington Wizards, there is really no reason for the Warriors to start him other than politics. Paul is 38 years old and needs his workload reduced. At 6-foot-1, Paul would also create a miniature starting backcourt next to the 6-foot-2 Steph Curry. Though Curry is in the god tier at moving off the ball, he is at his best in a free-flowing offense (which might not mesh with Paul’s methodical, ball-dominant style in the halfcourt).
It is always possible that the Warriors change their minds before the season. Even if Paul does start for the team, he could just be a spot starter who gets pulled early in the first quarter and has his minutes staggered with Curry’s minutes the rest of the way. But Golden State already failed before with another high-usage guard next to Curry. Trying it again with a geriatric version of Paul next year might not yield much better results for them.
