Last season, Chris Paul failed to lose the ball eleven times. As a member of the Phoenix Suns, he was fouled just once in 16 other games. Meticulous possession is a symbol of his 18-year NBA career and is considered point guard gold.
That history is why Warriors coach Steve Kerr isn’t bothered by the unusual number of gifts Paul gave his opponents in his first two preseason games with his new teammates.
Paul played 20 minutes and had five turnovers in a 129-125 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Friday night.
“He really soaks up everything and we are so lucky to have him because we need his organizational skills,” Kerr told reporters in Los Angeles. “We’ve talked a lot about reducing our turnovers and he’s going to help us tremendously.
“I know he had some [turnovers] tonight, but I’m not worried about that. He has one of the best career assist-to-turnover ratios of any point guard.”
The best according to StatMuse. Paul’s career assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.98 ranks No. 1 on the all-time list of point guards with at least 1,000 games, showing he is the most reliable ball-handler in the NBA.
But the man sometimes referred to as “Point God” also had two turnovers in 13 minutes in his Golden State debut on October 7th.
Seven turnovers in 33 minutes is usually cause for concern for a coach. But the circumstances must be taken into account.
“It feels like he’s really trying to kind of fit in with everything we do,” Kerr said. “And it’s a little different to some of the offenses he’s committed in recent years. Of course we play a little faster, with a little more movement. He’s a little less focused at times. He’s just getting used to it.
“But he’s such a smart player that it’s pretty easy to adapt.”
Here’s a breakdown of Paul’s sales:
Sales #1: Offensive foul, 9:00 left in half. Senior official Brian Forte whistled him for being too aggressive and trying to stop Lakers guard Austin Reaves from stealing a pass in halfcourt.
Sales #2: Bad pass with 8:39 left in the half. While attempting to hit Stephen Curry coming off a screen near the half-court circle, Paul misjudged Curry’s momentum and the pass sailed a few inches wide of the goal and out of bounds. Paul’s response was the obligatory “my bad” chest thump.
Sales #3: Bad pass with 8:57 left in the third quarter. Seeing Andrew Wiggins almost stuck on the sideline, Paul tried to deflect a pass from Rui Hachimura. Easy steal for the Lakers forward.
TUrnover No. 4: Bad pass with 6:01 left in the third period. Seeing Dario Sarić near the sideline – with more space than Wiggins – Paul attempted a 15-foot chest pass that Reaves, trying to reach Sarić, caught in his hand and tipped toward himself. Steal.
Sales #5: Bad pass, 5:23 left in the third period. After a pass from Curry, Paul stormed off the field and tried to throw the ball around the 6-foot-2 Jaxson Hayes, hoping Wiggins could snag it as he crossed the midfield line. No chance. The pass went wide to the right and rolled out of bounds on the other side. Paul became too cute.
There were times in Paul’s career when he went entire weeks without four missed passes. In this case, two of the four turnovers were live balls, which triggered LA’s transition.
Those are the kind of giveaways that Kerr detests — and that would elicit a more emphatic response if it were a regular-season game in January.
These preparation games serve as an acclimatization phase for Paul. Get to know his teammates’ tendencies and learn how to best read the rhythm.
“I think now it’s more about him getting enough reps with our other guys to feel that movement and feel the difference in the patterns we’re doing,” Kerr said.
“But he’s just one of the smartest players I’ve ever been around. And he’s so focused and determined on every possession. He knows the game so well. He’s really exciting to have and I think he’ll just keep getting better.”
Paul, 38, is slower than he was 10 or even five years ago. But he is still a master of real-time analysis. Kerr trusts the story. This also applies to the warriors. Seems fair.
The first two preseason games are not representative of who Paul was and it is not reasonable to believe that they would be. He has weeks and months to adjust and see if he’s still that guy.
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