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When the Golden State Warriors acquired Chris Paul in exchange for Jordan Poole, the initial thought process was the front office was doubling down on challenging for a championship in the upcoming season. Even at age 38, Paul is one of the better point guards in the NBA and has a track record of elevating the teams he plays for.
Yet, ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst isn’t convinced Paul’s addition will significantly affect Golden State’s championship hopes. Instead, Windhorst noted the deal was a salary dump to move off Poole’s contract, with Paul being the makeweight in the trade.
“I’m not sure that he does,” Windhorst said. “The issue is the way Chris Paul plays is not really the way the Warriors play. Now, that doesn’t mean that he can’t come in and be able to find ways to get guys going, particularly Klay Thompson. If they’re together on the second unit, I actually can see a way where that would happen.
The Warriors have never had a secondary lead guard who could go to work when Steph’s off the court. … The honest thing is that this deal was made largely as a salary dump. … I absolutely believe Chris Paul can help them. But making an assumption that it’s a huge addition, I’m not there yet. Just respectfully, I’m not there yet. We have to watch and see how it goes.”
Since acquiring Paul, the Warriors have faced questions regarding what role the veteran is going to play in the rotation next season. Steve Kerr and the Warriors front office are remaining tight-lipped about their plans for how to best utilize Paul.
Nevertheless, Paul’s veteran savvy, playmaking ability, and scoring prowess will undoubtedly help Golden State throughout the upcoming season. If the veteran can remain healthy during the postseason, his presence will certainly help provide strength in depth and help elevate the Warriors toward a championship — assuming he buys into his role, and that Golden State doesn’t trade him before the February trade deadline.
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