Warriors 3 goals: Chris Paul must buy into Steve Kerr’s system
With the off-season nearing an end and training camp right around the corner, now is the perfect time to start looking at potential goals for each player on the Golden State Warriors roster. The Warriors will begin their training camp on October 2, with their first preseason game taking place on October 7. Golden State will then begin their regular-season schedule on October 24 against the Phoenix Suns.
To begin this series, we will be looking at Chris Paul. The veteran point guard joined the Warriors earlier this summer as part of the trade that sent Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards. Paul is a 12-time All-Star and is widely viewed as one of the best point guards in league history. However, despite his stellar career, a championship ring has continued to elude him.
If Paul wants to be part of a potential championship run this season, here are three goals for him to follow:
Buy into the system
Steve Kerr likes his Warriors team to run a movement-based offense. The ball flows freely, rarely sticking to a player’s hands. Off-ball movement is a pre-requisite, be it via screening, cutting, or flaring into space. Paul will have to adjust his playing style to fit how Kerr likes his offense to flow. Part of that will mean learning to pick his moments in isolation or running a pick-and-roll offense.
Last season, Paul averaged 74.5 touches per game, averaging six seconds per touch. The veteran guard will need to do more with less as he slots into a rotation that already has elite guards in Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
Elevate the young stars
Rumor has it that Paul is already working out with Jonathan Kuminga. Paul has a reputation for elevating the younger talent around him and helping them establish themselves as an important player within a rotation. Golden State has struggled to develop its young players in recent years.
Now, with Kuminga, Moses Moody, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Brandin Podziemski, Paul could leave a lasting legacy on the Bay Area franchise if he can help speed up some of the younger talent on the roster.
Accept his role
Is Paul going to be a starter? Or is he going to come off the bench? Regardless of what Kerr decides, Paul has to accept his role in the rotation if he wants to be crowned a champion. Logically, Paul being the Warriors’ sixth man makes the most sense. However, recent rumors have him pegged as being a starter to begin the season.
Training camp will have a big say on where and how Paul is asked to play. We will get our first look at a potential role for the veteran guard once preseason gets underway.
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