[Source Article by The Athletic’s Anthony Slater – “Chris Paul accepting bench role is tone-setting decision for Warriors: ‘It works’”](https://theathletic.com/5010908/2023/10/30/chris-paul-bench-role-warriors)
### Steve Kerr had a meeting with his Best Players to discuss the Starters/Bench Conversation:
> In the days leading up to training camp, Golden State Warriors coach **Steve Kerr called his six best players into his office for a conversation** that Stephen Curry, a month later, specifically referenced late Sunday night in Houston. The attendees: **Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney and Chris Paul**. **“I remember on Steve’s whiteboard it said: ‘Dray don’t be late!’” Paul laughed.** “Draymond noticed it during the meeting.”
> This discussion was of high importance to Kerr. The **previous Warriors season was derailed**, in part, due to internal splintering. It began with the preseason punch but never subsided because of continued grumbling about playing time, uncertain roles and a shifting pecking order. **Kerr and Curry were determined to avoid a repeat.**
> That meant **facing the uncomfortable truth about a crowded six-man mix. Who starts?** Who closes? It’d depend on the night. Everyone would presumably have a moment of sacrifice. But this was a **message most directed at Paul**. He was the newcomer with an extensive résumé that included one amazing statistic: 1,365 consecutive starts to begin his 19-year career.
> Green was returning from a two-game absence. Kerr approached Paul and told him that Green’s return meant Paul was shifting to the bench. **“He just said, ‘Yep,’ nodded his head and said, ‘Let’s go get them,’” Kerr said. “No big deal.”**
### Chris Paul on the Warriors Traditional Starting 5 (Steph, Klay, Wiggs, Dray, Loon) – “It works.”:
> “It works,” Paul said. “It **gives us a bigger lineup. I’ve never been on a team probably with this type of depth. I’ve been on really good teams, don’t get it twisted. But not necessarily where you could say: ‘All these guys can start.’** And I think last year that was the best starting five in the league.”
### Chris Paul appreciates Steve Kerr, Steph Curry, & Warriors vets’ Communication:
> He agreed that the pre-camp meeting in Kerr’s office was crucial, generating the type of open dialogue Paul craves. If a decision is reasoned, shared and discussed, he is comfortable with the choice. “Yes,” Paul said. “Because it’s talking. We’re communicating. We ain’t just coming up to somebody day of and saying: ‘Hey, this is happening.’”
> It is clear that this Warriors team, laced with veterans, is communicating often and well early in the Paul era. That’s a leadership quality that has always been considered among Kerr and Curry’s best and it’s something that clearly vibes with Paul.
> “I’m an over-communicator,” Paul said. “I say that all the time. Some people don’t like it. But that’s me. That way you don’t have to guess how I feel about you. A lot of time people are scared to have those conversations. But you got guys who’ve won, guys who want to win and everyone understands what they mean to the team. When you done played this long, you want to enjoy the people you’re around and you want to win.”
### Chris Paul on the “you coaching?” moment during Summer League :
> During it, a reporter prefaced a question stating that he’d be coming off the bench. Paul shot back a “you coaching?” response that many perceived as a sign that he wouldn’t accept such a demotion, sparking a wave of conversation about whether this player, team pairing was already doomed.
> “**It was over-exaggerated because I’ll tell you this: It wasn’t a question**,” Paul said. “**She made a statement.** I know what the media is like. I know what I said in there. I know what bullet points gonna be taken from that.”
> Paul then wanted to give a little history lesson.
##### Chris Paul on what they said during his OKC Thunder Days vs what ended up happening:
> “When I went to **OKC,** what’d everyone say? **‘He wants to be traded. He wants out of there,**’” Paul said. “People always speaking for me. The very first meeting I had in OKC, did I tell you what happened? I stood up in front of my teammates and said, ‘Don’t pay attention to what the media says about me trying to get moved out of here. I don’t know how to be half in and half out. I’m here.’” Paul led a resurgent Oklahoma City Thunder team to the bubble playoffs and stretched the Rockets to seven games in the first round, generating a mentorship with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander along the way. Thunder people still glow about his professionalism there.
##### Chris Paul on what they said during his Houston Rockets & Phoenix Suns Days vs what ended up happening:
> “When I came to **Houston**, what’d they say?” Paul asked. **You and (James) Harden won’t work**. “Ain’t gonna work,” Paul smiled.
> **“In Phoenix? We too young**. But what I’ve had to do my whole career is I’ve had to stand on who I am. I’m not saying this (Warriors team is) the best team ever, but as soon as the trade happened, what did everyone say? This ain’t gonna work.”
### Steph Curry on Chris Paul’s willingness to come off the bench:
> “**He’s about winning**,” Curry told The Athletic. “It’s easy to talk about it, but when you have to go prove it, **it’s in the essence of what Andre did**. (Chris) talked that game this summer and he’s obviously showing it. It kind of cuts through the notion of typical bench versus starter. There is **a lot of value on that bench, connecting lineups. He showed it tonight**.”
### Andrew Wiggins & Kevon Looney on the possibility of not starting/closing games – “It just let everyone know that we’re here for one reason — to win.”:
> Because of his early struggles, Wiggins hasn’t closed two of the three games. “**Loon was playing good**,” Wiggins said. “Draymond was playing good. Klay was playing good. Everyone was playing good. Stuff happens. The coaches make a decision that’s best. **We won the game. As long as we keep winning, I’m fine.** I gotta give them a reason not to take me out. Rebound more. I can do more.” Wiggins was in that pre-camp meeting in Kerr’s office: “**It just let everyone know that we’re here for one reason — to win.”**
> So was Looney, who will assuredly be benched several times as the season progresses: “Having that line of communication is always key when your role is different than you’re used to. We all gotta sacrifice. It was good to hear. Just so you ain’t hearing it through the media, hearing it through different sources. Uncertainty can cause confusion and separation.”
### Klay Thompson on the Meeting:
> Thompson was also in the room. **Does he remember it? “Barely, honestly. Just a bunch of guys talking hoops.**”
*side note: Classic Klay 😂*
8 comments
It took some finesse on Kerr’s part but here we are. I might get a CP3 shirt this week.
You gotta love some Klay!
Hahahah reading all of that (which was great, thanks for the breakdown OP) and then getting to Klay’s “Barely, honestly. Just a bunch of guys talking hoops.” is peak, pure, endlessly lovable Klay 😭
Damn I’m really excited!
It was a serious read, then there’s Klay 🤣 how can you not love him man.
Kerr: You’re all gonna have to sacrifice
Klay: Hear that guys? *You’re* all gonna have to sacrifice!
WTF I’m really loving CP3 as a warrior, I never ever thought he would be on our team back in his clipper days. He was enemy # 1, I dreamed of curry schooling CP3 the way he just did to Dillion Brooks.
Now CP3 is quickly becoming one of the my favorite players lmao.
LMAO Klay!
Stop Chris Stop! Your making me blush 😭
Warriors have needed someone like Chris since the KD years. They need someone Kerr respects who can see things from an outsider perspective who can conform but also hold everyone accountable, including the core. KD couldn’t do that really.
Chris is making this team better, we’re seeing them get spacing again like we haven’t seen in years. I don’t think fans are really acknowledging with how good the ball movement has been too. We’re getting 2016 but with the freestyle random chaos. And we don’t have guys on the bench that are instant fuck ups or ball hogs.