In his first media availability session as a member of the Golden State Warriors, veteran point guard Chris Paul seemed to push back against the idea that he will be guaranteed a bench role next season. In a recent report, Sam Amick of The Athletic confirmed that Paul does indeed hope for a starting role with Golden State.
“So when he pushed back against the idea that he would come off the bench for the Warriors this season during his introductory news conference in Vegas on Sunday, it’s safe to assume that he knew precisely what he was doing,” Amick said of Paul. “Regardless of what comes next, it’s quite clear that Paul is holding out some hope that there’s a way for him to start (and no, people, not in replacement of Steph Curry and/or Klay Thompson, but with them in a small lineup).”
Paul has never come off the bench in a single game in his NBA career, so it makes sense why he would be hoping for a starting role. That said, it would be difficult for the Warriors to make the fit work. While Steph Curry can certainly play off the ball, and already does quite a bit, a defensive trio of him, Paul, and Klay Thompson may be difficult to navigate.
As Paul said during his media availability, this is basketball at the end of the day, and the Warriors will figure it out.
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