"This is it": Stephen A Smith reckons Warriors stint is Chris Paul's final shot at title success
Since being selected fourth overall by the New Orleans Hornets in the 2005 NBA Draft, Chris Paul has remained one of the elite point guards in the league. Entering his 19th season in the NBA, Paul is on his sixth NBA team, the Golden State Warriors.
When it comes to the possibility of finally securing an NBA championship, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith talked about Chris Paul's chances with the Warriors on ESPN's "First Take."
"I think this is it," Smith said. "If he can't do it now, he ain't gonna get it done. He's one of the great point guards in NBA history, top five or six all-time. I've said it before and I'll say it again. But I don't know if they're going to pull it this year, but this is his best chance in a while."
Playing alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, Paul certainly has a chance. However, the competition in the league is stacked with all-star team-ups and deep rosters. This also places pressure on the Warriors' limited depth over the course of an 82-game season.
Be that as it may, the team also has to pay attention to how Chris Paul's fit is going to turn out in the coming 2023-24 season. The 12-time all-star certainly has a lot left in the tank, making it interesting to see how his production on the court with the Warriors pans out.
Chris Paul talks about his mentality entering the 2023-24 season with the Golden State Warriors
During media day, Chris Paul talked about what his approach is going to be like playing for the Warriors in the 2023-24 season, as per ESPN's Kendra Andrews.
"I think anybody who knows me knows I'm all about winning," Paul said. "Whatever I can do to help our team win. I know coach and us, we are going to talk about it and see what he likes. We've been hooping all summer. I think for the season it's going to be whatever to help our team win, and I think I've at least tried to show or prove that my entire career."
Paul has always been a leader and team player in every organization he has played for in his career. Being the professional that he is will certainly make things easier to manage for Warriors coach Steve Kerr alongside the rest of the team.
During Paul's final season with the Phoenix Suns, he averaged 13.9 points per game (47.2% shooting, including 36.9% from 3-point range), 9.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds.