During this off-season, the Golden State Warriors have undertaken significant changes to their roster in their pursuit of another NBA championship. One of the most notable additions has been Chris Paul, a 12-time NBA All-Star, to their already star-studded lineup including Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. However, NBA writer Mark Medina is skeptical about the feasibility of having all of them in the same starting lineup.

The newly-appointed General Manager of the Golden State Warriors, Mike Dunleavy Jr., made a major move by trading for Chris Paul in a blockbuster deal on the day of the 2023 NBA Draft. This trade involved sending Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards.

Anthony Slater, a writer for The Athletic, voiced concerns about the riskiness of this move. He pointed out that Jordan Poole had been available for every game in the 2022-23 regular season, while the 38-year-old Chris Paul is not as consistently available and lacks the same long-term potential and agility he once had.

This trade was widely perceived as a high-stakes gamble, with the Warriors’ championship-winning trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green all entering the later stages of their illustrious basketball careers.

Before the onset of free agency, there were reports circulating that Draymond Green, a loyal contributor to the franchise’s success with his versatile play on both offense and defense, had initially declined his player option. This raised the possibility that he might have left the team.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who spoke on Sports Center, several teams expressed interest in acquiring the services of the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year. These teams included the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, and Miami Heat.

Despite the interest from other teams, the 33-year-old player decided to re-sign with the Golden State Warriors on a four-year, $100 million contract, likely to be his final significant NBA contract offer.

The Warriors also added Brandin Podziemski as the No. 19 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, indicating that the team’s rotation will look quite different from previous seasons.

As for the starting lineup for the opening night of the 2023-24 season, Mark Medina has a prediction. He believes that Chris Paul will not be in the starting lineup, as this might lead to Draymond Green taking on the center role. Instead, Medina predicts that CP3 will be utilized as the sixth man.

According to Medina’s analysis: “I think what happens is if you start Chris Paul all of a sudden, you’re now putting even more strain on Draymond Green to play the center position.”

“So I think what happens opening night, we have a starting lineup of Kevon Looney at center, Draymond Green at power forward, Andrew Wiggins at small forward, Klay Thompson as shooting guard, Steph Curry as point guard, and Chris Paul is your sixth man.”

“However, I think that Chris Paul will still close games. The Warriors have often used small-ball lineups in crunch time during past seasons. I believe this approach will continue during the regular season and, more importantly, during the playoffs.”

As the Warriors made a significant trade for Chris Paul, questions arose about how this move would impact their starting lineup for the 2023-24 regular season. The primary question remains whether Chris Paul will start, considering that Curry and Thompson occupy the starting guard positions. The team’s head coach, Steve Kerr, might consider a three-guard starting lineup or opt for the lineup that has previously been successful.

In the previous season’s opener, the Warriors secured a decisive 123-109 victory against the L.A. Lakers with a starting lineup comprising Curry, Thompson, Green, Andrew Wiggins, and Kevon Looney. All five players are still part of the team and could potentially start in their opening game against the revamped Phoenix Suns.