The Golden State Warriors know the early part of this season is going to be a test of patience as much as anything else. Without Jimmy Butler, and with Moses Moody also expected to be out for at least the first 30 games, Steve Kerr’s group is staring at a stretch where survival matters more than style points.
Kerr didn’t try to dress that up. The message is simple: keep the team afloat until the roster gets healthier.
“We’ve got to win some games early and stay with the pack,” Kerr told Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. “But I'm excited about it.
We've added some good players with Yaxel, Georges Niang, and believe Brandon Williams can help us. Our young guys obviously had a great summer, winning Summer League and really putting in a lot of work," Kerr said.
That early stretch is where the Warriors can’t afford to drift. Without Butler, they can’t realistically bank on a top-four or even top-six finish in the West. The goal has to be something much more basic: stay competitive, hover around .500, and leave themselves a chance to build some momentum if the season starts to come together later.
The danger of falling behind is obvious. It would only crank up the pressure on Butler to return quickly and get back to his best, and that would also put more on Rick Celebrini and the medical staff to make that happen. The deeper the hole, the less margin Golden State has to work with.
And even with Butler, the Warriors may still be looking at a play-in type season. Without him, and if Stephen Curry and the rest of the roster don’t stay healthy, things could get ugly fast - ugly enough that the team could be sitting near the bottom five in the West.
That’s why the start matters beyond the standings. Golden State also has to convince its own front office that this season is worth pushing. If the team is mediocre and out of the race by the midseason deadline, it’s easy to see the front office shifting into seller mode and looking ahead to what can be done in free agency next year.
At the very least, the Warriors aren’t likely to make short-term additions unless they believe this group can actually make noise. Otherwise, it starts to look like another wasted season, which is why plenty of people already see this as a gap year before it even begins.
Every team wants a fast start. For the Warriors, though, it feels especially urgent.
In Other News...
Warriors Just Took Another Frustrating Free Agency Hit
Ben Simmons is headed to Sacramento, where he has a one-year deal and a clearer path to minutes on a rebuilding roster. For the Warriors, it is another reminder of how free agency has gone lately when they have tried to sell a fit, a role and the pull of their championship core, only to watch a target go elsewhere instead.
Golden State had interest in Simmons, but the pitch clearly did not carry the same certainty as the opportunity he chose. The latest miss adds to a familiar pattern for the Warriors in recent years, with players weighing the security of a defined role against the possibility of joining a team that still has cachet but cannot always promise the same thing up front. [Read more 🡒]
Stephen Curry Still Gives Warriors One Edge Rivals Can't Solve
The latest reminder of Stephen Currys unique burden on defenses came from an unlikely place, with Knicks guard Deuce McBride breaking down what it takes just to stay attached to him. McBrides read was simple enough: Curry is a nightmare because he keeps moving, makes the right play over and over, and can hurt a defense in more ways than one, whether he is handling, relocating or working off the ball.
What stood out even more was McBrides description of Currys strength and balance when defenders try to crowd him, a trait that does not always match the way he looks on the court. For the Warriors, it is another window into why Curry still creates an edge opponents cannot fully scheme away, even as his recent injury issues make it likely Golden State will have to be careful with his workload in the season ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Yaxel Lendeborg Is Suddenly In The Middle Of A Warriors Camp Battle
Yaxel Lendeborg has gone from Summer League standout to a real topic in Golden States training camp conversation, and that is not a bad place for a rookie to land. Steve Kerr has already floated the idea that Lendeborg could be in the mix for a starting forward role this season, a notable nod for a player whose strong play in Vegas helped turn heads and gave the Warriors another young piece to consider as they sort through their roster.
The fit is what makes it interesting. Golden State is still working through rotations and roles as camp and preseason unfold, and Lendeborgs game appears to line up with what the staff wants from a modern wing on this roster. For now, the bigger question is not whether he belongs in the picture, but where exactly he belongs when the Warriors start putting their best lineup combinations on the floor. [Read more 🡒]