The day after the declarations of DeMarcus Cousins, very skeptical about the arrival of Chris Paul to the Warriors, it was Steve Kerr who stepped up to defend this choice of the management of Golden State. The 2022 NBA champions sacrificed Jordan Poole to reclaim a 38-year-old All-Star point guard, and Kerr is confident the Paul-Curry doublet can sparkle.
“I saw Steph and Chris training together” says the Golden State coach on the set of NBA Today. “We talked about our team, and one of the things I said to Chris was that we need to be more in control this season. Last season, we were 29th in the league in lost balls, which is the second-worst record in the league. But at the same time, we were the team with the fastest pace in the league. In other words, we were the second worst in the league, but we had the fastest pace in the league. It’s not a good combination. »
However, Chris Paul has always had golden hands, with one of the best assist/ball loss ratios in the NBA. On average, last season, Chris Paul distributed 5 assists for a stray ball, and that’s exceptional.
“One of the things I like about Chris is that he controls the games” continues Kerr. “So I told him we needed his ability to control the game at key times for us and he knows he’s going to adapt to some of our methods. Especially when he goes to play with Steph, to throw the ball forward, and play with a little more rhythm. »
A good shot with every possession
The Warriors coach imagines Chris Paul as a “facilitator” alongside Draymond Green, to get the best out of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins.
“I like the idea of finding a better balance this year, having more control, but also being very effective in attack” concludes Kerr. “And then of course we already know what Chris brings on the pick and roll and with his mid-range game. He always gives you a chance with every possession to get a good shot. He is one of the greatest playmakers of all time. So we’re lucky to have him.”
