Former Suns PG Chris Paul Projected to Win Sixth Man of The Year
The 2023-24 NBA season is nearly here, as we're under two months until preseason action begins.
Although situations with Damian Lillard and James Harden still need to be resolved, majority of the league's landscape has settled after what was an extremely busy summer from the Phoenix Suns, who managed to shake both the coaching staff and roster for what many believe to be for the better with fresh faces across the board.
Suns fans will see their team take the court without the talents of Chris Paul for the first time in years after he was involved in the Bradley Beal trade.
Soon after being acquired by the Washington Wizards, Paul again was dealt to the Golden State Warriors, where he joins a backcourt of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
Paul's role is currently unknown, though it's expected Golden State will utilize him coming off the bench to supplement one of the splash bro's.
ESPN's panel of experts recently predicted each major NBA award, and Paul was voted as the top player in the Sixth Man of the Year category:
"Our experts say the Golden State Warriors struck gold with point guard Chris Paul, who joins one of the deepest teams in the league. The 12-time All-Star is entering his 19th season, and although Paul has never come off the bench, his contributions as a reserve could strengthen the Warriors' title chances."
Top five voting for the position:
1. Chris Paul, Golden State Warriors: 42 points (26.9% of first-place votes)
2. Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers: 30 points (15.4%)
3. Russell Westbrook, LA Clippers: 26 points (11.5%)
4. Tyler Herro, Miami Heat: 21 points (11.5%)
T-5. Immanuel Quickley, New York Knicks: 18 points (3.8%)
T-5. Malik Monk, Sacramento Kings: 18 points (3.8%)
When asked about potentially coming off the bench earlier in the summer, Paul said Golden State would have to figure things out in training camp.
"At the end of the day, it’s basketball,” Paul said. “I’m going into a situation with a bunch of guys who’ve been playing together for a long time. I’m not as worried about it as everybody else is ... We’ll figure all of that stuff out at training camp.
“You don’t have the answers right now. We’ll practice, and I’m sure there will be things I’ve got to learn about then, they’ve got to learn about me, but that’s the case with any team.”
