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Chris Paul will start the Golden State Warriors' first exhibition game on Saturday, and likely remain in Steve Kerr's first five come when the new-look Phoenix Suns come to town for the regular season opener on October 24th. Once Draymond Green returns from a sprained ankle and gets back up to regular playing speed, though, all early indications from Warriors training camp are that the Point God will shift into a reserve role, coming off the bench for the first time in his nearly two-decade career.
Paul, thankfully, has already eased concerns that not being a permanent starter could mar his tenure with the Warriors. Just as importantly, Kerr is extremely optimistic his anticipated presence as de facto captain of the second unit will be a boon for all Dubs reserves, including Jonathan Kuminga.
“I know that Chris and JK played together a lot this summer in pickup ball. We did that on purpose to get them together, because we see Jonathan really benefiting from playing with Chris,” Kerr said on Tuesday. “But I think everybody benefits from playing with Chris; he makes the game easier on the whole group. But it's easy to envision—Gary [Payton II] out there, Dario [Saric]. These guys are proven vets, right? So whatever the combinations are, we've got a lot of guys who can play and have proven that they can win at a high level in this league.”
How Chris Paul, Jonathan Kuminga fit on Warriors' bench
Big picture, Golden State can ask nothing more of Paul than propping up bench-heavy lineups that have routinely failed to stay afloat when Stephen Curry rests—a longtime trend of the dynasty that even Kevin Durant couldn't change. There's a chance Paul's consistent ability to control tempo and initiate halfcourt offense while keeping turnovers low is all the Warriors really need to field successful bench units this season.
But reversing its penchant for giving up leads and falling into deeper holes on the scoreboard will be much easier for Golden State if Paul develops the dangerous two-man game with Kuminga their traits suggest is possible. Ball screens featuring Paul and Kuminga could become a fulcrum of the Dubs' bench offense, especially when Saric is playing center to stretch the floor to the arc. Paul should activate Kuminga in transition, too, not to mention find him for high-flying finishes when defenses turn their head from the third-year forward away from the ball.
No one has ever doubted Kuminga's natural talent and burgeoning on-ball skill. Feel and decision-making have been been most hard for him to come by in Kerr's system, two developing areas of his game a genius floor general like Paul can help accelerate.
The Warriors' championship ceiling in 2023-24 depends on Kuminga scraping his individual peak at 21 years old. The more he plays with Paul on second units, the more likely it is Kuminga will live up to that promise, emerging as the reliable impact player Golden State needs to re-emerge as a top-tier title contender.
