Playing on Tuesday for the first time since January 5 after recovering from a left hand fracture, Chris Paul helped lead the Warriors to a victory in Washington, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. In 22 minutes off the bench, Paul contributed nine points, six assists, four rebounds, and four steals. The Warriors, who won the game by 11 points, outscored the Wizards by 17 during Paul’s time on the floor.
“All season long, he’s been such a high performer,” head coach Steve Kerr said after the win. “All of our best lineups, he’s in.”
As Slater notes, the Warriors initially expected to finally have their full rotation available on Tuesday, but Andrew Wiggins missed the game for personal reasons. Kerr, who didn’t offer any specifics on when Wiggins might rejoin the team, inserted Moses Moody into the starting lineup in his place. Although Moody had been out of the rotation, Kerr didn’t want to alter his new second unit, which now features Paul playing alongside Klay Thompson.
When Wiggins returns, Golden State will have no shortage of rotation options, with Moody and Lester Quinones likely among those on the outside looking in. Slater suggests that Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green, Gary Payton II, Wiggins, Paul, and Thompson will all be candidates for closing lineups, with Dario Saric, Kevon Looney, and Trayce Jackson-Davis vying for minutes too.
“Steve said he’ll try to figure it out,” Paul said of potentially playing a reduced role in a crowded rotation. “Said sometimes he might mess it up. But we got a really good group of guys on this team, and we’ll need different things every night. But one thing about me, though, is I know who I am and what I’m capable of. Ain’t no question about that. I’ll always be ready. I think he knows that.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- While Paul figures to spend a little time playing alongside Curry, the plan is to have him on the court for all of the non-Curry minutes, according to Slater. The two-time MVP has shot just 31.5% from the field over the past three games, including 21.6% on three-pointers, so CP3’s return should allow the team to reduce his workload and have him play off the ball a bit more. “Steph has looked tired to me the last couple games,” Kerr said after Sunday’s loss to Denver, per Slater. “It makes sense. He did the All-Star Game stuff, not getting much of a break — three games in four nights. He looks a little tired. These stretches happen.”
- Kerr said on Tuesday after officially finalizing his two-year contract extension that he felt “very comfortable” signing a relatively short-term deal, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com. “We’re in a really unique situation where we have an era that’s winding down and another that’s coming,” Kerr said. “We’re trying to make them merge and make the most of that this year and next year … let’s keep it rolling for another couple of years and then reassess it.”
- Asked during an appearance on the Club 520 podcast which of the Warriors’ four championship teams was his favorite, Green cited the 2021/22 squad, since it wasn’t viewed as a title favorite entering that postseason. “2022 wasn’t really a championship team (compared to) the championship teams I’ve been on,” Green said (hat tip to BasketNews.com). “After every series, me and Steph would be walking to do an interview after we won a series, and we’d walk and laugh like, ‘Yo, how are we winning these series right now?'”
Being deep and healthy at this time of year is pretty big. Let’s hope it continues through the playoffs. But if someone goes down I think the Warriors have the bodies to make up for the loss.
The Warriors lack a dominant big guy but with the way they play basketball and use athleticism I think they can overcome any deficiency against an allstar in the middle.
Denver might be the exception because even if you try to neutralize Jokic somehow, which you can’t of course, Jamal Murray steps up or Aaron Gordon.
Can hardly wait till the playoffs and hopefully the Warriors won’t see the Nuggets early !!
Warriors are having problems with bigger teams like the Nuggets. Unfortunately Kerr refuses to go away from a smaller lineup thinking he can counter bigger teams. They need a center about 7 feet just for offensive rebounds. Nuggets kill them rebounding every game.
I mean. Nobody can beat Jokic. While the Warriors have had problems with rebounding, that’s been the case for most of their dynasty. Same with turnovers and fouls. All team constructions have weaknesses. The general mindset is “why fix what isn’t broken?”
With the Warriors, a lot of guys who fit into the mold of grabbing every board are useless in the rest of their system. Guys like Zaza and Bogut scored in atypical ways, cutting and transition primarily. Very few good bigs can exist in the motion offense.
The Dubs have never had a real center, why start now?
They won their first championship with Bogut and their second and third with Zaza Pachulia. Two seven-footers starting most games. Why do people still believe that?
Define a “real” center? They’ve had plenty. Talented 7 footers are hard to come by.
Andrew Bogut was a true center. He could shoot outside some too.
Jeez…Why do people keep believing that? The Warriors are the 3rd best rebounding team in the NBA, according to the NBA. Denver is like 10th. They have been that way for years. Why don’t people believe that? You don’t have to be 7 feet tall to grab a rebound.
warriors struggle against taller teams. They can beat teams their own size but when it comes to teams like Nuggets who have much taller players they lose. If you are not 7 feet you better have a big body so you are not pushed around under the basket.
No. Warriors don’t need a center.
Main issue is that Curry and Klay are old
Paul is grandpa.
Curry been way off on his shots the last 4 games. Shooting air ball 3s twice in 1 game. He looks tired out there on the court. Kerr needs to give him a day off.
Wiggins is going to give Simmons a run for his money on the softest dude in the NBA title.
It always amazes me that people say the can’t win another Finals without a dominant big man.
At one point, they had Wilt Chamberlain and Nate Thurmond in the front court. Two of the greatest big men in NBA history. They couldn’t win a Finals. After Chamberlain left, and they traded Thurmond for financial reasons, 6’9″ Cliff Ray became their starting center. They won a Finals that season, 74-75.
In 21-22, 6’9″ Kevon Looney was their starting center. After struggling the whole season, and going up against a much bigger Celtics team, they won the Finals.
This season, half of the Warriors rotation was on the 21-22 team. Rick Barry, who was on that 75 team, says this team reminds him of that earlier team. So, history can repeat itself.
Warriors won’t get out of the 1st round. Stick a fork in em
I’ll report back after March 3rd visit to Boston. Will the Warriors get blown out, hang tough, win a close one, or kick their butts? We shall see.