Former Suns PG Chris Paul Expected to Start With Warriors
Chris Paul found his name in plenty of headlines this offseason, even after he left the Phoenix Suns.
Reports first surfaced around the trade deadline that Phoenix was looking to upgrade their backcourt from Paul, who turned 38 in May. The Suns ultimately dealt him in the summer to the Washington Wizards in a trade that netted them Bradley Beal, ending Paul's three-year stint in the Valley.
Paul was shortly dealt to the Golden State Warriors, arriving to a team that has established itself as the gold standard across the league after winning four NBA titles with a core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
Paul's role in the historically great backcourt was unknown heading into this season. Would Golden State force Paul to come off the bench for the first time in his career, or would the Warriors roll out a three-guard lineup?
We may finally have an answer.
ESPN NBA analyst Marc Spears appeared on the Good Word With Goodwill podcast and said he expects the Warriors to start Paul - with a catch.
“I do expect him to start. And I think it’s like five-minute spurts,” said Spears. “I don’t know that they really want his minutes to be high, but I think they’re gonna try it. I could be wrong, but that’s the gist I’m getting. This isn’t an opinion that he’s expected to start; it’s what I’m hearing. He’s never not started in his career.”
It will be interesting to see how the Warriors monitor his minutes, as Paul has never averaged less than 31.4 minutes per game since entering the league. He's also failed to play at least 60 games in four consecutive seasons.
Father time loses to nobody, so it's only a matter of time before Paul truly begins to slow down. The Suns opted to move on before true regression hit, and Golden State hopes he can continue adding to the empire they've already established.
The Suns will be in Golden State for part two of the NBA's opening night doubleheader on Oct. 24.
