10 July 2023 , 15:38
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New Golden State Warriors point guard Chris Paul has refused to accept he'll have to make do with a seat on the bench - despite the presence of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in the backcourt.
Paul, 38, has never not started in any of his 1,363 games played across 18 years as a professional. Across stints with the New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Phoenix Suns, the North Carolina native has remained a starter well into his 30s and throughout several injury issues.
But after arriving in the Bay as part of a trade that sent Jordan Poole the other way to the Washington Wizards, it was expected Paul would transition into a sixth-man role. It would see him lead a Warriors second-unit which historically struggles whenever Curry is not on the court.
There are now some doubts about that prospect. More will become clear once head coach Steve Kerr and Paul speak further about his role once training camp starts in September.
"At the end of the day, it's basketball," Paul said at his introductory press conference. "I'm going into a situation with a bunch of guys who've been playing together for a long time. I'm not as worried about it as everybody else is.... we'll figure all of that stuff out at camp."
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"You don't have the answers right now. We'll practice, and I'm sure there will be things I've got to learn about them, they've got to learn about me, but that's the case with any team."
Questioned about the assumption he would be coming off the Golden State bench, Paul asked the reporter: "You coaching?" After pausing to laugh, he added: "I don't know what the situation is going to be yet. I think that will be for us to figure out once we get going."
Chris Paul and Jada Crawley watch New Orleans Pelicans vs Golden State Warriors (Getty Images)Paul continued: "It will be a conversation for us when camp starts," Paul said. "Me and Steve have talked and whatnot, but that ain't something where he'd be like 'what up man, where you starting or you coming off the bench?', so I think we'll figure all that stuff out at camp."
While speaking at Summer League, Paul also revealed he and Curry practiced together earlier on Sunday in Las Vegas following a Warriors morning shootaround. Addressing their time in the gym, the first time they have worked out together since 2009, he added: “There weren’t a lot of misses.”
After being Western Conference rivals for so many years, facing each other 37 times in total, the pair are able to make light about now calling each other teammates after developing an off-the-court relationship over their years in the league. “Even working out today, we were just laughing… So it’s a great opportunity and a blessing to still be doing this at our ages, because he ain’t young anymore, either," he said.