New Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul is getting feisty with media members who think he's coming off the bench.
The Golden State Warriors swung one of the summer's biggest trades to acquire Chris Paul, sending Jordan Poole and draft compensation to the Washington Wizards as a capper to the Bradley Beal-Phoenix trade.
Paul, potentially in the final year of his contract worth $30.8 million, will join the backcourt he spent years battling against in Houston. With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson already cemented in Golden State, there has been plenty of speculation about the specifics of Paul's role with the Warriors.
The 38-year-old has been a starter in the NBA ever since he was drafted with the No. 4 pick in 2005. He has literally never come off the bench, but now in Golden State, there will have to be real consideration given to the possibility of using the Point God in reserve.
That said, CP3 isn't yet ready to concede his starting spot.
Chris Paul gets testy with Golden State Warriors media over bench lineup question
When asked what he thinks of Golden State's depth and the second unit he could be "playing with," Paul quickly shut down the reporter with a sarcastic, "You coaching?" He went on to state that there have been no conversations between him and Steve Kerr as far as the staring lineup and bench rotation next season.
When prodded on the same topic a second time, Paul again emphasized the present lack of certainty and the importance of figuring things out in training camp.
So, to state in plainly, Paul isn't willing to embrace the role of sixth man until he's officially the sixth man. There has been reporting about Paul potentially starting next to Curry and Thompson as part of a small-ball opening five, but the logistics of starting every regular season game with a very old, very short group are not great when one considers the grind of an 82-game regular season.
The Warriors would probably bench Kevon Looney in the event of Paul starting, but that feels like an imbalanced approach. There's no doubt Paul will spend ample time next to Curry in the backcourt — he will probably close most games — but rather than showing your hand at the beginning of games, it may be wise for Golden State to save the small-ball looks for pivotal moments and fourth quarters.
Paul would be a sizable upgrade over Jordan Poole when it comes to captaining the ship in the second unit. He's one of the smartest basketball players of all time, a bonafide genius who consistently elevates everyone around him. The Warriors have other playmakers besides Curry — mainly Draymond Green, who has been the de facto point guard on many occasions — but Paul is the first true "point guard" to anchor the non-Steph lineups.
One has to imagine Paul is willing to sacrifice for the betterment of the team at this stage of his career. No coach is better at willing that sacrifice out of players than Kerr. There's a non-zero chance the Warriors decide to plant CP3 in the starting lineup, but it's best to get mentally prepared for Paul's first minutes off the bench… ever.