Warriors’ Stephen Curry says fit with Chris Paul has been ‘seamless,’ and history suggests the duo will thrive

The new-look Golden State Warriors wish to soar again from a disappointing season with the offseason addition of Chris Paul, however there are indubitably questions on his fit. The 38-year-old long run Hall of Famer rose to excellence through having the ball in his palms and working nearly solely out of the pick-and-roll. Now he unearths himself on a group with two different number one creators in Steph Curry and Draymond Green, in a Steve Kerr gadget that prioritizes ball and participant motion over pick-and-roll — frequently to the nice depression of Dub Nation.

One individual now not fearful about the fit, alternatively, is Curry. Coming off one in every of the very best seasons of his storied occupation, Curry stated on Thursday that he and Paul have performed “a lot” of pickup this offseason, and the two are already thriving.

“It’s mad fun,” Curry stated of taking part in subsequent to Paul. “I get the rebound and push, I can throw it ahead in transition knowing he’s pretty sure with the ball. He makes the right decision. He’s been really good catching and shooting when he’s open, moving without the basketball. … It’s pretty seamless, really, to be honest.”

Paul isn’t any stranger to taking part in with celebrity guards, and history suggests that working along Curry may not be an issue. In Paul’s first yr subsequent to James Harden, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Devin Booker, the Rockets, Thunder and Suns all had vital good fortune when the duos shared the ground.

As you’ll be able to see, the “there’s only one ball” concept has by no means been a disadvantage for Paul, who has change into an elite spot-up shooter. He ranked in the 98th percentile in catch-and-shoot potency closing season with the Suns, in line with Synergy Sports, and in the 94th percentile in spot-up eventualities. The man is aware of the right way to get it finished with out the ball.

The larger problems, as Curry identified on Thursday, will come on the defensive finish. With Paul status at a good six-feet and Curry at 6-2, the duo may well be challenged through a few of the league’s larger, more potent guard pairings, and probably hunted through opposing stars in a playoff environment.

“There’s challenges in terms of how we match up, making sure we’re defensively sound and how we play on that end of the floor and how we adapt with the other three guys that are out there with us, whoever that is,” Curry stated. ” … You obviously have to rebound, and there’s an attention to detail on mechanics and reads that can help us do our work early, so you’re not just trying to get rebounds above the rim. Matchup-wise, it depends on the game, what the scouting report is. We’ll be able to adapt to that.”

A nine-time All-Defensive variety, the getting older Paul will depend on his basketball IQ and relentless tenacity to make up for no matter he is misplaced athletically. The 35-year-old Curry, in the meantime, has endured so as to add muscle and give a boost to defensively over the latter part of his occupation. The two will even have the good thing about defensive stalwarts Green, Andrew Wiggins and/or Kevon Looney on the ground with them.

Watching how Paul suits right into a Warriors group looking for some other name will be one in every of the maximum intriguing early storylines of the 2023-24 season, which starts on Oct. 24 when Golden State hosts Paul’s most up-to-date former group, the Phoenix Suns. (The first preseason recreation will be Saturday night time, when the Warriors host the Los Angeles Lakers.)

“That’s the beauty and the challenge of what we have in terms of our roster,” Curry stated. “Because each five that you put out there is going to have a strength and they’re going to have a weakness. You have to be able to adapt as we go through.”