Addition of Paul has Curry, Warriors thinking of another NBA title run in Pacific Division
By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer
On a far court in the Warriors practice facility, Chris Paul backs his body into Stephen Curry playing defense and tries to take the two-time NBA MVP 1-on-1 after a recent practice. Moments later, it’s Curry’s turn on offense and he drives on Paul.
They take turns firing up shot after shot from every perimeter spot. In games, they drive, dish and find each other – smiling or pointing to celebrate the playmaking while quickly establishing a rhythm.
As Curry and Chris work on their chemistry, the Warriors believe the addition of the veteran guard can provide Golden State with the immediate energy reminiscent to the lift instantly provided by Kevin Durant during his two seasons in the Bay Area.
“He obviously plays a certain way, I play a certain way and there’s kind of a challenge there of I’ll lead a certain part of the workout, he’ll lead a certain part of the workout, kind of sharpen the tool kit that way,” Curry said. “It’s really good right now in terms of the pace that we’re trying to go and the work that we’re trying to put in, the accountability to take advantage of training camp. We’re doing it together.”
Paul is confident he’s fitting in just fine.
“Believe it or not, it’s not my first time being traded on another team,” he quipped. “You change jobs, anything, going into a new environment, you want to be around the guys — the only way you get a chance to know each other.”
With the departure of Jordan Poole, Paul will be key in the Warriors pursuit of a another championship — though they are far from the only title contenders in the Pacific Division.
Durant and the Suns will have something to say about the Warriors’ title hopes — as will LeBron James and the Lakers, along with those upstart Sacramento Kings.
A look at each team in the Pacific Division in predicted order of finish:
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Coach Steve Kerr also has enjoyed watching the relationship between Draymond Green and Paul develop, even with Green sidelined by an ankle injury early.
“There’s really good chemistry in terms of their connection, they spent a lot of time together this summer both in LA and playing pickup,” Kerr said. “The on-court stuff will just have to unfold when Draymond comes back.”
The Warriors fell short of the big goal to get back to the NBA Finals and chase back-to-back championships when they lost to James and the Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.
Andrew Wiggins finding some continuity again will be key after he missed significant time for injuries, illness and personal reasons last season and played just 37 games in the regular season.
PHOENIX SUNS
The Suns have undergone a dramatic transformation under new owner Mat Ishbia, overhauling the roster in an attempt to bring its first championship since the franchise was founded in 1968.
Three-time All-Star Devin Booker is the only player who remains from the team’s trip to the Finals in 2021. He’ll be part of the team’s Big 3 that includes 13-time All-Star Durant and three-time All-Star Bradley Beal.
The Suns recently added center Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen and others in a trade, sending former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton to Portland. They also have a new coach in Frank Vogel, who won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
After making several big changes at the trade deadline and surprisingly reaching the Western Conference finals, the Lakers have tried to maintain continuity around James and Anthony Davis this time around.
As a result, they appear to have their most talented roster since their championship season in 2020. General manager Rob Pelinka re-signed Davis, Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt while adding veterans Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish and Christian Wood. The mix is deep, balanced and versatile, but the health of James and Davis will determine whether LA is a contender for its 18th title in coach Darvin Ham’s second year.
“You take these opportunities whether it’s training camp or these preseason games, just to start to build your habits, build winning habits,” Ham said. “Again, transition defense is something we really zoned in on — it’s one of the areas of our game that we really need to excel at.”
SACRAMENTO KINGS
Brown has reminded his Kings team the expectations are higher now – from the fans, from the league, from everywhere, now that the Kings finally ended the longest postseason drought in NBA history and pushed the 2022 champion Warriors to a deciding seventh game in the first round.
“We know we’re a good team. How do we become a great team? First and foremost we have the understanding that the enemy of great is the good,” Brown said. “We can’t get complacent. We have to be all in, and we have to continue building on our narrative that we laid the foundation for last year, continued this summer with our connectivity and our work ethic, and now going forward we have to build on it.”
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are healthy going into the season for the Clippers. Now if the two stars can only stay that way.
The Clippers’ hopes to win the franchise’s first NBA championship rest on the oft-injured duo. Leonard only played in 56 games last season and got hurt in a first-round playoff loss, while George was limited to 52 games.
Coach Tyronn Lue hopes that a full season of Russell Westbrook and a return to full health for Leonard and George will allow this group to reach its full potential. There’s a now-or-never feel to this season for the current Clips to chase their title ambitions, particularly with the two superstars’ looming free agency and the scheduled opening of the Intuit Dome in Inglewood next season.
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AP Sports Writers David Brandt, Greg Beacham, Beth Harris and AP Freelance Writer Michael Wagaman contributed to this report.
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