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Good Morning Dub Nation,
Nearly a week has passed since the Golden State Warriors acquired Chris Paul from the Washington Wizards in exchange for a package headlined by budding point guard Jordan Poole. In an interview with The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Warriors guard Stephen Curry shared his thoughts on Poole’s departure as a part of that trade.
You hate losing JP. I know it’s not all the way official yet. So I don’t want to talk too much before it is. But that’s the tough part of the business, seeing a young guy come into his own (and then get traded). It’s a great opportunity for him. It’s just you get to know someone like that, build a friendship, build a bond. It’s tough to see him go. But, you know, we’re trying to win next year and CP can help us do that.
Poole ended his Warriors’ tenure on a down note statistically, after struggling mightily during the postseason. After averaging 17.0 points per game on 50.8% shooting from the field during the team’s championship playoff run a year ago, his numbers dropped to 10.3 points per game on 34.1% shooting this past postseason.
Having said that, amidst his struggles, his reported discontent with his role, and his preseason drama involving Draymond Green, it’s easy to forget just how important Poole was to the Warriors this season. His scoring went up from 18.5 points per game the previous year to 20.4 in 2023. Meanwhile, his 214 total three-pointers made him, Curry, and Thompson the second trio in NBA history to convert over 200 threes each in a single regular season.
Poole’s most important contribution, however, may have been his incredible durability throughout his time with the Warriors. He fought through injuries and was available for all 95 of Golden State’s games this past season, ably filling in for either back court spot in the absences of Curry or Klay Thompson.
As Curry mentions, it may have been tough to see a promising player like Poole leave, but the trade makes the Warriors’ intentions this season perfectly clear: do whatever it takes to win another championship with their veteran core.
Here are the rest of today’s stories:
In case you missed it from Golden State of Mind:
- Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson’s thoughts on new teammate Chris Paul
- The Michael Jordan of Delaware will enter free agency
- Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson provide thoughts on Mike Dunleavy Jr. as the Warriors’ new GM
- Chris Paul ‘glad to be a part’ of the Warriors’ winning culture
- Everybody loves Draymond: Grizzlies also pursuing Warriors forward
Other Warriors News:
- Steph Curry, Klay Thompson on Chris Paul trade: ‘Every team CP has been on gets better’ (The Athletic)
- What will Jordan Poole bring to the Washington Wizards? ‘It won’t be uninteresting’ (The Athletic)
- Warriors’ allure faces stiff test in NBA free agency (NBC Sports Bay Area)
- Marc J. Spears: ‘Expectation’ is that Chris Paul will start for Warriors (KNBR)
- Draymond Green has 3 NBA free agency suitors hoping to steal him from Warriors (SB Nation)
NBA News:
- Source: Heat’s Victor Oladipo exercises $9.4 million option (ESPN)
- The Blazers Are Set Up Well For Life After Damian Lillard (If It Comes To That) (Uproxx)
- The 2023 Undrafted Free Agent Roll Call (No Ceilings)
- NBA free agency 2023: Here are the best bargain 3-point shooters available, from Yuta Watanabe to Joe Ingles (Sporting News)
- NBC in Mix for Upcoming NBA TV Rights Negotiations, per Report (Sports Illustrated)
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