- Steve Kerr reflects on player roles for the 2023-24 season
- Kerr remains undecided on who will come off the bench in a crowded backcourt
- Kerr calls on his players to “buy in” after subpar season
With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in the backcourt, most fans assumed that Warriors newcomer Chris Paul would come off the bench for his new team this season. While initial reports indicated that Paul would get a starting role for the Dubs, head coach Steve Kerr refused to confirm or deny that the longtime basketball veteran would be starting alongside Steph and Klay.
In fact, in a recent chat with the media, Kerr claimed the Warriors will basically have six starters for this campaign: “We basically have six starters, the way I look at it, and only five can go each night. So, I haven’t decided yet what we’re gonna do, I wanna see training camp. We’re gonna try different combinations and take a look, but obviously, all six guys are gonna play a lot of minutes for us.”
So, it sounds like Kerr is still on the fence about who will open games for the Warriors this season, but humility will be key to their success either way.
In the same chat with reporters, Kerr urged his entire team to buy in and accept whatever role he has them play going forward. “If this is gonna work, then everybody has to embrace it regardless of who is starting and who is not. It only works if the whole team buys in,” Kerr continued. “I know five of them really well and I’m getting to know Chris. One thing I know about all of them is that they want to win more than anything. They are an incredibly competitive group. They’ll figure it out and the guys will buy in and find a way.”
Steve Kerr still hasn’t decided whether Chris Paul will start. He said the Warriors will look at various lineup combinations during camp.
“If this is going to work, everyone is going to have to embrace it regardless of who starts.”
Full detailed Kerr response. pic.twitter.com/UtdyQKEms8
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) September 25, 2023
A Big Adjustment For Chris Paul
Chris Paul is undoubtedly the biggest wildcard for the new-look Warriors. After 18 years in the NBA, Paul has the experience and cache to succeed in almost any environment and the Warriors should be no exception. The biggest difference for Paul will be his role in Golden State, which contrasts greatly with his role in his previous stints in Phoenix, Oklahoma City, and Los Angeles.
Already, there have been murmurs about Paul wanting to start with the Warriors and some believe it could cause some problems if he’s forced to come off the bench as a backup. Paul, a 12x All-Star and 11x All-NBA player, will have to accept a lesser role than he’s used to if he wants to make it work with the Warriors. At this stage of his career, he’s just simply not as valuable as others in the backcourt and he’ll have to come to terms with that if he wants to prosper under Steve Kerr.
Warriors Need Total Compliance
After struggling to find their groove last season and trading away Jordan Poole, the situation in Golden State can only be described as fragile. With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green expecting to be competitive year after year, the pressure is on the Warriors to make amends for their failures in the 2022-23 campaign. With that goal in mind, they cannot afford any more distractions, especially not from their newest point guard, Chris Paul.
As the replacement for Poole, a lot hinges on the point guard legend and his performance. If all goes well, he could give the Dubs a much-needed boost en route to a highly competitive season. But if there’s any resistance internally on his role with the team, it could spell disaster for the 7x NBA champions.
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