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After the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated the Golden State Warriors in the NBA playoffs and the title defense officially ended in the Bay Area, the storied franchise headed into the offseason with a lot of uncertainty surrounding the organization and its direction.
One of the main reasons for the uncertainty in San Francisco was longtime general manager Bob Myers’ decision to step down after he helped build a team that won four titles.
Once Myers stepped down, the Warriors didn’t waste much time making some substantial changes, with the team trading guard Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards in exchange for veteran Chris Paul.
Many believed the trade stemmed from Poole’s fight with Draymond Green before the season began, but Jason Dumas of Bleacher Report thinks it had more to do with the guard’s relationship with head coach Steve Kerr, via 95.7 The Game.
Interesting stuff from @JDumasReports on Kerr and JP’s relationship pic.twitter.com/nSy3JYOd7a
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) July 7, 2023
Although Poole is a talented scorer and may go on to put up some big stats with the Wizards, he didn’t seem to fit with the Warriors last season with some questionable shots and being nonexistent on the defensive end of the basketball floor.
Bad shots and poor defense will not win over Kerr, who doesn’t put up with that style of play, and the trade being a product of that isn’t all that surprising.
Even though bringing in Paul, who tends to play at a different pace than the Warriors, is a questionable move by Golden State, it may be the right way to go with the veteran hungry to win a title in the twilight of his career and likely willing to accept a lesser role to get it done.
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