Chris Paul already impressed coach Steve Kerr vs. Lakers: ‘He understands the rhythm’

The preseason opener between the Warriors and Lakers proved many things last weekend. Not only was the Los Angeles team exposed by their squad losing 127-110 against Golden State, but also showed Steve Kerr that trading in for Chris Paul was the best decision possible to strengthen his historic roster.

The 18-year veteran, who’s always been one of the most feared rivals of his Bay Area club, seems to be a perfect fit for the Warriors puzzle.

“Man, it was exciting,” Paul said after the match. “I’ve been on the other side of a lot of crazy games. It was wild to hear (the fans) cheering for me. Since Day 1, since I got here, since the trade happened, it was my first time being around the fans. But the staff, the guys on the team, they couldn’t have been more welcoming.”

Both the newcomer and Stephen Curry shared a hilarious moment on the Warriors bench, as a confused Jonathan Kuminga passed the ball to the shooting legend, who was standing outside the court with a towel over his head.

JK found Steph in the corner … except he wasn't in the game 😂😅 pic.twitter.com/EocTcsJWZK

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 8, 2023

The former Suns star finished with 6 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds in just 13 minutes. But most importantly, the 38-year-old showed amazing chemistry with his teammates.

“There’s a pace to the game that is fun to watch as a coach, where you just kind of know he’s going to be making the right play over and over,” Kerr said after the game. “He understands when we need to pull it back and get into an action, or play faster, because he understands the rhythm of the game. So, Chris is amazing. Really fun to have him on our side, finally.”

As for Kuminga, who produced a game-high 24 points to go with 8 rebounds and 4 assists, he felt immensely grateful for Paul’s contribution.

“[Paul’s] making my life easier every single day,” the youngster said. “I mean, they’re gonna get on me when I’m not doing the right things, and I feel like, so far, it’s been him helping me out to read more certain things of the game.”

Rookie Brandin Podziemski explains why he feels ‘blessed’ to be able to play next to Paul and Curry in his first NBA season

After playing his first minutes in Golden State’s preseason opener against the Lakers, rookie Brandin Podziemski still can’t believe his fortune to be able to learn the game next to legends like Curry and Paul.

“Yeah, just shows you how blessed of a situation I’ve been put into,” he’d told the press at the start of training camp. “Just being 20 years old and them guys having 13 to 15 years under their belt already, just learning from them every day is something that is truly a blessing for me.”

The numbers between these two superstars are outstanding, as they both combine for 43,467 points, 17,241 assists, 21 NBA All-Star appearances, 20 All-NBA nods and seven finals appearances.

According to the 20-year-old, training everyday and getting shots next to Curry and Paul has improved his confidence and helped him adapt quicker to professional basketball.

“I think every time I step on the floor, I feel like I belong more and more now,” Podziemski said. “Just getting accustomed to playing with them. The way I play is similar to how they’ve always played, so me adjusting to terminology and play style hasn’t been an issue at all.”