The NBA off-season saw a plethora of trades being made, but few more intriguing than the Golden State Warriors acquiring Chris Paul just at the start of free agency. In a deal with the Washington Wizards, the Dubs traded Jordan Poole for the 38-year-old veteran. With Paul set to make $30,800,000 this year, Warriors fans have been left with concerns whether the point guard would be able to work alongside Steph Curry, considering their chequered history. In ‘The Old Man and the Three‘ podcast, CP3’s former teammate JJ Redick provided some hope to the fans.
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With CP3’s stature as a player, there were legitimate questions on whether he would be willing to come off the bench for the team. The Warriors’ lack of size would mean that they they’d have to go with an even smaller lineup if they decide to start their recent acquisition. When asked in a recent interview, the former Suns star calmly replied that that conversation with Steve Kerr is yet to happen and will take place when training camp starts.
There’s been no discussion between Chris Paul and Steve Kerr about Paul coming off the bench. “It’ll be a conversation 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.” pic.twitter.com/JYSO9hcHqE
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 10, 2023
JJ Redick has hope for the Steph Curry and Chris Paul pairing
Steph Curry and Chris Paul are probably the two greatest point guards of the past decade. However, they playing on the same team leaves a lot of questions about their roles for the upcoming season. Paul’s former Los Angeles Clippers teammate and friend, JJ Redick, had optimistic views on making the pairing work. He compared the two superstars to Yin and Yang, while dishing out some optimism for the Bay Area fans. Here is what he said in his podcast:
“Steph is this daredevil and showman and this guy who plays with joy. Then you have Chris who is like methodical and a tactician and is serious on the court… It’s like Yin and Yang balance thing…And maybe in some ways, Chris Paul-I’m not saying he’s the missing ingredient…is something they didn’t really have.”
Redick made some good arguments and followed it up by comparing the two stars to two well-balanced complementary forces. CP will bring stability to the chaotic way of playing that the Warriors thrive in. The San Francisco team has been consistently dealing with turnover issues, and the addition of a methodical ball handler could potentially eliminate such issues.
CP’s history with the Warriors
Chris Paul and Stephen Curry’s Warriors go a long way back, and they have had some fierce battles over the years. Be it the 2014 Los Angeles Clippers eliminating the Warriors, or the Warriors getting the better of Paul during his stint with the Houston Rockets. There has always been a ‘rivalry’ of sorts between CP and the Bay Area franchise.
In fact, Draymond Green had blatantly called out his dislike for the 38-year-old veteran in ‘All the Smoke’ podcast. He talked about CP3 trying to stiff-arm Steph because he realized that the latter was the upcoming superstar in the league. This led to Green driving a wedge between the two superstars. All things considered, we can’t wait for them to take the floor together in the upcoming 2023-24 season.
