Chris Paul only has been a Warrior for three months, but he’s tired of being considered an outsider to Golden State’s title aspirations.
The Warriors acquired Paul in a summer blockbuster trade with the Washington Wizards in exchange for young guard Jordan Poole, hoping the veteran would help Golden State’s core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green bring another NBA championship home to Chase Center.
In an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area's Zena Keita on the latest episode of "Dubs Talk," Paul was asked how he thinks he’ll fit into the Warriors’ title plans, considering he's new and ring-less.
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“It's so crazy, and I know you're asking a question,” Paul told Keita. “But I just say, ‘We,’ you know what I mean? It ain't like they’re on the chase and I'm on a different one. We’re all on the same chase together.”
A longtime rival, Paul was emphatic about himself and the Warriors chasing a title as one instead of separately.
Entering his 19th season, Paul only has appeared in one NBA Finals, where he and the Phoenix Suns lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021. Meanwhile, the trio of Curry, Thompson and Green have made it to the end six times in the last nine seasons alone, bringing home four rings.
Paul knows he can’t relate to the Warriors’ past success, so he’s instead focused on helping their new-look roster materialize and make the most out of this season.
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“I don't know if it's about fitting in or whatnot,” Paul told Keita. “I think it's just trying to build what we have because it ain't like we're trying to be (the Warriors) from [2017] or their team from [2022]. We got our own team with new characteristics and we just got to figure out how that's going to work.”
The 12-time NBA All-Star will be a key factor in helping the Warriors build chemistry. Adding Paul’s high basketball IQ and floor-general presence to a Golden State roster already featuring some of the league’s brightest minds only can raise the team’s ceiling.
It’s too early to tell if trading for Paul will net the Warriors another title. However, the future Hall-of-Famer has made it clear he wants to win a championship as a team, not as an individual.
Paul brings career averages of 17.9 points, 9.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds to Golden State. If he offers anything close to that production, he could be the difference in the Warriors' championship-or-bust year.
Paul will have another opportunity to showcase his talents on Friday night, as the Warriors face the Los Angeles Lakers in a preseason rematch at the Crypto.com Arena.
The two teams first played on Oct. 7 at the Chase Center, when the Warriors defeated the Lakers 125-108. Over 13 minutes, Paul finished with six points, four rebounds and five assists in his Golden State exhibition debut.
As the regular season inches closer, Paul is eager to put the "CP3 and the Warriors" labels to rest. He's happily competing for an NBA championship like anyone else on the roster.
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