Chris Paul Recaps Golden State Warriors Tough Victory Over Mavericks | April 2, 2024

Chris Paul Recaps Golden State Warriors Tough Victory Over Mavericks | April 2, 2024

Chris you came to this team knowing that you’re going to be playing with some veterans but how important have the other guys been for this team whether it’s wigs or BP or Trace just the younger guys how important have they been for you guys as you guys make this

Run uh really important I mean everybody with the season that we didn’t have with all the injuries and um yeah it’s it’s it’s really been by committee every night it’s five straight like you know Pretty good overall defensive games from you guys what what are you seeing on

That end just overall that that has kind of changed what you guys have been doing um probably a little bit more aware um and understanding like our coverages and trying to communicate early uh it’s funny All Season we sort of just we didn’t known where to be

Just sometimes guys not there and I think uh we starting to understand that um you know defense is what we got to be able to hang our hat on you know the offense we got some amazing Shooters and scores or whatnot but if we defend it opens everything else

Up Steve has been pretty upfront that he’s been checking his standings pretty much every day down this stretch do you do the same or are you more we got to worry about we’re doing and just make sure that we’re playing the best basketball I just try to Once Upon a

Time probably you know but now I just try to worry about what we doing it’s the only thing you can control you ain’t gon ain’t nothing gonna happen in the standings unless you win you know only bad thing is going to happen when you lose you talked about the younger

Players how much of a a rapport do you feel on the court with with BP and Moody and it seemed like second you know late third quarter you guys really kind of flipped the game and and it wasn’t one guy taking over was all of you playing

Together really well yeah I think um that’s when we had our best when we sharing the ball and moving it but it still goes back to our defense when we not taking the ball out the net we can play at a better pace and just trying to read guys we play so many

Different lineups on a given night you’re not sure what group you going to be playing with so you just sort of you figure it out but one thing like I said got to be a constant is the defense after uh Chris after years of bumping heads with Draymond as an opponent as an

Opponent how is it different being on the other side and seeing the other side of him it’s easy it’s easy cuz uh he’s a cerebral player like myself and uh Dre thinks the game defensively like me too you know he’s a great passer and all this stuff

But he does all the little things setting screens and this game man it’s actually a simple game if you pay attention to it you know it ain’t always about the speed and the thrust it’s about angles it’s about the reads and he uh one of the best I’ve

Seen my whole career and I appreciate playing with somebody that sees the game like I do do you ever worry about uh you know his temper getting away and and causing him to miss miss games or anything like that you know nope Noe not

At all and um I don’t know if you seen it but shout out to Dre’s podcast but we talked about it on there and that I I play with the same passion that he does you know so when he talks or yells or anything like that I’m listening to what

He’s saying and not how he’s saying it and I think that’s what a lot of people don’t do in all types of situations so I can appreciate his passion you know if he wasn’t like that that mean he wouldn’t care you know what I mean so I

Know how bad he wants to win and I can have those conversations with him how much do you live how much do you live for these high level games um obviously you’ve been around you played a thousand games or whatever but you know when you’re on the court and you’re facing

Kyrie and Luke and those guys how much do you live for those moments playing against guys that you know are are stars in this league that’s why you do it I wouldn’t be out here 19 years if you know if I didn’t love to do this and and

Think that I was more than capable of doing it you know I go spend time with my kids and my family you know what I mean it’s a lot of years of this and um uh that’s that’s why you do it you in these situations over and over again and

And you keep trying to um you know get to the top you were aggressive with the jumper tonight when do you decide on this team when it is time to to to Really look for for your own job I don’t know I just just just sort of Play Just

Seriously you just figured out on what night it’s going to be this or that you just I’m literally out there just trying to help figure out how we can win what what told you tonight was it just their defensive coverage or personal yeah um defensive coverage two for one um

Situations you talk about understanding draymond’s passion there was that timeout early in the game when I guess he wanted trace or or pmy a couple passes where he he didn’t get them on and he definitely looked upset I saw you kind of talk to him not asking what you

Said but is that a moment that you can understand maybe better you can you can feel what he’s feeling and you can talk to him a little bit no question no question and I tell you I mean you pay attention long enough and there guys where plays happen and don’t nobody say

Nothing you know then they just go home and you know I mean show me I tell you somebody show me somebody that’s okay with losing and I’ll show you a loser you know what I mean so Dre’s passion is why they and one championships and stuff

Around here so um I I respect it I ain’t like it when I was on the other team you know what I mean but I um I definitely obviously gotten to know him a lot better and I appreciate him and that passion is why those blocks and those

Plays happen at the end of the game so you know if are you trying to calm him down at all or you just talking to him in a moment like done it’s both but I understand it cuz people don’t had to do the same to me

You know what I mean but it’s like his his will to win it’s a passion man so obviously it’s always people who’s going to say oh he needs to do this he needs to do that but I I appreciate him for for who he is you haven’t played a ton

Of minutes this season obviously coming off the bench uh you miss some games do you feel like there’s a gear in you late in the season do you feel like your legs are there and strong uh I I would hope so yeah do you feel it

Like feel what like you got strong legs like this is this is like not a late season Chris Paul this is a this is a and I don’t know I’m here I’m I’m here ready to play when when when it’s called on you know what I mean I

I’m yeah I don’t I don’t think I read yeah I I don’t know I yeah just having such a big impact tonight in only 20 minutes um how different is it you know playing in shorter bursts knowing you might not have as much time as you you once did to

Kind of feel the game and find a rhythm just try to um be effective in the time that I’m out there that’s that’s your mindset cool thank you

Chris Paul met with the media following the Golden State Warriors victory over the Dallas Mavericks.