Chris Paul has only been a Warrior for three months, but he’s tired of being seen as an outsider to Golden State’s title aspirations.
The Warriors acquired Paul in a blockbuster summer trade with the Washington Wizards in exchange for young guard Jordan Poole, and Golden State core players Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were traded to Chase. The hope was that the veteran could help bring another NBA championship to the center.
In an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Zena Keita on the latest episode of “Dubs Talk,” Paul talked about how he thinks he fits into the Warriors’ title plans, considering he’s a rookie and ringless. asked.
“That’s really crazy, I know you’re asking,” Paul told Keita. “But I just say ‘we,’ you know what I mean? It’s not like they’re chasing one thing and I’m chasing another. We are all chasing the same goal together. ”
Paul, a longtime rival, emphasized that he and the Warriors are chasing the title as one, not separate.
Entering his 19th season, Paul has only appeared in the NBA Finals once, in 2021 when he and the Phoenix Suns lost to the Milwaukee Bucks. Meanwhile, the Curry-Thompson-Green trio has reached the Finals six times in the past nine seasons. Spend the season alone and bring home four rings.
Paul knows he can’t relate to the Warriors’ past success, so he’s instead focused on helping their new roster materialize and make the most of this season.
“I don’t know if it’s about integrating into society or what,” Paul told Keita. “I think we’re just trying to build on what we have, because we’re not trying to be (the Warriors).” [2017] or from that team [2022]. We formed a unique team with new features, but we needed to understand how it would work. ”
The 12-time NBA All-Star will be a key piece in building chemistry for the Warriors. Adding Paul’s high basketball IQ and floor general presence to Golden State’s roster, which already features some of the brightest minds in the league, will only further raise the team’s ceiling.
It’s too early to tell whether the Paul trade will bring the Warriors another title. However, the future Hall of Famer made it clear that he wants to win championships as a team, not as individuals.
Paul averaged 17.9 points, 9.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds for Golden State during his career. If he can deliver anything close to that, he could be the difference between winning or losing for the Warriors.
Paul will get another chance to showcase his talents Friday night when the Warriors take on the Los Angeles Lakers in a preseason rematch at Crypto.com Arena.
The teams met for the first time on October 7th at Chase Center, with the Warriors defeating the Lakers 125-108. Paul had six points, four rebounds and five assists in 13 minutes in his exhibition debut with Golden State.
As the regular season inches closer, Paul is eager to end the “CP3 and Warriors” label. He’s just as willing to fight for an NBA championship as the rest of the players on the roster.
Download and follow the Dubs Talk podcast