SAN FRANCISCO — Over the last three seasons, the Warriors are 2-46 when Steph Curry is minus-5 or worse in the box score. Unfortunately for them, that trend didn’t change on Tuesday.
But, until the final whistle, it at least seemed like the Warriors would do what has been unimaginable for them in recent years: Win when Curry has a bad game.
The term “bad game” is, of course, relative when you’re referencing one of the greatest basketball players to ever grace the Earth. Curry scored 27 points in the Warriors’ 108-104 season-opening loss to the Phoenix Suns, but he went just 8 for 20 from the field, including 4 of 14 from 3-point range. At the end of the night, there was a glaring minus-9 in the box score next to his name, which normally spells disaster for Golden State.
There’s a new Warrior in the Bay, however, and Chris Paul showed in his debut why winning the non-Curry minutes may no longer be a pipe dream.
“Chris is so, so good,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said after the loss. “The way he controls the game, hits big shots when you need him. He gives us a different dimension now — just his point guard mentality.”
Paul, used to more pick-and-roll and a slower pace, is still adjusting to the Warriors’ controlled chaos on offense. But, as he showed on Tuesday, Paul’s ability to slow things down and control the game will help Golden State greatly while Curry sits.
“He just balances us out,” Warriors center Kevon Looney said of Paul. “Steph with the ball is always a great thing — he can get any shot he wants. But sometimes, when he’s a little tired or needs a break off the ball, or they’re blitzing or something like that, [Paul gives] us a change of pace. You can put Steph off the ball and Chris is able to create shots for himself and others. I think that’s gonna be big for us throughout the year so we don’t wear Steph down.”
When Curry was forced to the bench in the third quarter with four fouls, Paul — who had been relatively quiet to that point — summoned his 18 seasons of experience and Hall of Fame…
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