Golden State Warriors (DR) / True Sports (DR)
By Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Sports journalist
Just one year after his arrival in Golden State, Chris Paul was let go and has finally joined the Spurs as a free agent. A scenario that has been the source of debate for several hours and on which a member of the Warriors has spoken out bluntly.
Their elimination from the Play-In Tournament suggested that they would be among the main players of the offseason. However, so far, the Warriors seem to have a hard time living up to their fans’ hopes. Indeed, only De’Anthony Melton has so far joined the Bay Area in free agency, while several big names from the team have gone the other way.
So, in addition to the sign-and-trade of Klay Thompson to the Mavericks, Chris Paul has also packed his bags in the last few hours. First cut by the Golden State management, he was later able to freely join the Spurs of a certain Victor Wembanyama. A new start that would have provoked his clear enthusiasmbut which many Californian fans still have difficulty swallowing.
Has the Chris Paul page already been turned in the Warriors locker room?
Recruited a year earlier via a trade involving Jordan Poole, Paul ultimately did not leave much of a mark on the Warriors. The Dubs’ leaders did not even manage to get the slightest compensation from him, which is bound to make people in San Francisco grind their teeth.At a press conference on Monday, Brandin Podziemski made it clear that he wanted to quickly put this matter behind him:
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Brandin Podziemski: I wrote (to Chris) yesterday, it was pretty sad. But whoever is here on October 1st, we’re going to deal with it. Whether we’re a young team or not, whether there are stars around Steph (Curry) or not, we’re going to have to make do with what we have and find a way to perform. For me, I’ve been working for the last 8 or 10 weeks to get better and get as close as possible to star status.
While saddened by the departure of a mentor like CP3, Podziemski will nevertheless seek to ensure his succession as best he can. In the meantime, he does not hide his amazement at the current excitement related to free agency, which he discovers:
Brandin Podziemski: It’s crazy. I’ve never experienced anything like that, so seeing players signing in different places every day is really upsetting. But from my perspective, the best reaction to all of this is to think that all that matters in the end is the group we have on September 30th for Media Day. That’s the group we’re going to have to work with, and that’s all that matters to me.
It remains to be seen whether this famous group will appear able to meet the great expectations that will undoubtedly surround it, which is by no means a guarantee at the present time.
Despite the rumblings following Chris Paul’s recent free agency departure, the Warriors appear to have already closed the deal. At least that’s what Brandin Podziemski, who will have the difficult task of taking over from the Point God, suggests.
