5 NBA players everyone should be keeping a close eye on in 2023-24

1. G Chris Paul, Golden State Warriors

The number of storylines percolating with Chris Paul’s move to the Golden State Warriors are limitless. There may not be any better show or player to keep an eye on this season.

First, this is a team with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. In college, the NBA regular season, and the NBA postseason, Paul has never come off the bench – not one single time. That appears poised to change, and how he handles that will set the bar for the Golden State culture this season.

For what it’s worth, the team isn’t tipping its hand that Paul will come off the bench. Owner Joe Lacob played coy when recently asked about CP3’s role. But it feels like there’s no other satisfactory option than for Paul to follow the Russell Westbrook rubric.

It’s also no secret that Paul and Draymond Green have beef. Green has expressed a desire to put that behind them, but he made a similar proclamation after last year’s infamous punch of Jordan Poole, a cloud that hovered over the franchise all year long.

Then, there’s the narrative that envelopes the whole roster: is this the last hurrah? That assumption has been made about Golden State before, but then they won a title a year ago and proved the doubters wrong. Still, the core isn’t getting any younger and Paul is no spring chicken at 38 years old.

Paul could soon go down as one of the greatest players of all time without a ring on his hand. There have been times with the LA Clippers and Suns where he’s felt close, but made only one NBA Finals appearance to this point, with the latter in 2021. This could be the last gasp.

Chris Paul won’t be one of the best players in the NBA. He won’t even be one of the best players on his own team, in all likelihood. If this is the swan song for a legend, however, it’s worth tuning in.