“The Point God” Chris Paul is being reduced to the “Bench God” following his sudden trade with Jordan Poole to the Golden State Warriors. Having never been benched before, Chris Paul expected to be treated with the same respect by his new team. However, things are going downhill, and he hates the idea that he may be starting from the bench.
Reports say that because the Warriors have enough guards on their team who appear to have much stronger stamina than Paul, he will start off the bench, and Paul hasn’t yet embraced “coming off the bench” as his new normal. In fact, he hates the idea.
According to TMPSN;
For starters, Chris Paul is a guy who has never come off the bench.
During his first press conference as a Golden State Warriors player, Chris Paul expressed his disbelief at the reality of joining forces with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, having previously faced them in intense playoff battles.
The unexpected trade saw the Warriors exchange Jordan Poole for Paul, with hopes that his passing and court vision would bring consistent points to the team.
Despite the logical assumption that Paul would come off the bench, given Curry’s starting position and the Warriors’ need for size in the backcourt, Paul seemingly did not appreciate this notion during his interviews.
While not as dismissive as Carmelo Anthony’s reaction to coming off the bench with the Oklahoma City Thunder, it raises the concern that Paul, like his Banana Boat Buddy, struggles with accepting a lesser role as his skills and body decline.
It is particularly challenging for superstars and future Hall of Famers to come to terms with this reality. However, Paul is aware that this is his last opportunity to win a championship and is expected to accept the bench role with a positive attitude. Failing to do so may lead to this being seen as his Icarus moment, similar to Melo’s experience.
Well, being 38 years old, Chris Paul may have to make peace with the fact that he is growing, and although he is an excellent player with much more experience, some of these guys are much more active. He has proved his worth over the years.
There’s been no discussion between Chris Paul and Steve Kerr about Paul coming off the bench. “It’ll be a conversation when camp starts. Me and Steve have talked, but that ain’t something where it’s, ‘What up, man? You starting or coming off the bench.” pic.twitter.com/JYSO9hcHqE
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 10, 2023
