The addition of Chris Paul to the roster has certainly made the Golden State Warriors a more balanced team. However, fans have been wondering what the team’s starting lineup would look like with a veteran point guard like CP3 in the mix. From his introductory press conference, the Point God made it pretty clear that he wouldn’t want to come off the bench. With the 2022 NBA Champions yet to find a solution for their roster rotations, Stephen Curry recently gave his input on the ‘starter debate’.
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The Golden State Warriors are a team that loves playing a small-ball lineup. However, with the addition of Chris Paul, Steve Kerr’s boys will become extremely undersized with a backcourt pairing of Curry and CP3. Therefore, the 18-year veteran might be a more suitable prospect coming off the bench with a backcourt of Steph and Klay Thompson starting for the Dubs.
The Dubs management hasn’t disclosed any information regarding the team’s potential starting five for the upcoming season. However, Stephen Curry, who recently made an appearance on The Ringer’s Real Ones podcast, did give a hint on the matter.
According to the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, there should be no ego clashes among teammates. When needed, certain players will have to make sacrifices for the greater good of the team, no matter who they are. Curry’s comments clearly indicate that nobody’s too good to come off the bench.
“You have to bring your egos, bring your full identity of who you are at the table. But you also have to know when to sacrifice for the betterment of the group,” Curry said.
While this remark didn’t directly address the CP3 situation, it’s quite clear that the veteran guard will have to defer to the head coach’s wishes to thrive in Golden State. At 38 years of age, Paul knows that he will have to start making sacrifices if he wants to be part of a winning franchise.
With the acquisition of Dario Saric, the team has brought in yet another capable starter. As per Steph, the team has a total of seven guys who could start and finish the games. But for obvious reasons, two of them will have to begin at the bench. And that decision will be made as per the team’s requirements.
“What it [the roster] looks like shouldn’t matter, right? We know that there’s, you could argue, 7 guys that they should start. 7 guys that can argue they should finish games. Do the math. There’s gonna be two people, outside of the equation,” Steph added.
There’s no denying, however, that Paul will be a crucial piece for the Dubs moving forward. Apart from his solid work running pick-and-rolls, Paul is also able to provide a change of speed while making everyone around him better.
Steph is excited to play alongside Chris Paul
Curry and CP, who have been long-time rivals, shared a mentor-mentee relationship since Steph was drafted in 2009. After leaving an emotional message for Jordan Poole, Curry expressed his excitement to play alongside Chris Paul.
We don’t know if Curry and Paul could be a successful starting backcourt for the San Francisco side. But they certainly have the raw materials to be great. Even if they aren’t, the team will certainly benefit from the two generational Point Guards being on the same roster.
