As long as Stephen Curry is still on the floor, the Golden State Warriors are going to keep getting dissected, doubted, and debated by NBA analysts.
That has been especially true this offseason. Even with the noise turned down a notch, the questions haven’t stopped: Could Golden State get involved in a star chase? Could Curry’s extension situation eventually push the front office into something bigger?
For now, though, the answer around the Warriors feels a lot less dramatic than the speculation. The front office appears content to work with the roster it has around Curry until cap space opens up next offseason.
What comes after that is another story. Right now, the sense is that this team is simply trying to ride this era out.
That’s why so much of the preseason talk has focused on the downside.
Michael Pina of The Ringer leaned into that line of thinking in his preseason power rankings, placing the Warriors 22nd in the “Sad Play-In Hopefuls” tier. His read was blunt:
“There’s pretty much no logical reason to feel optimistic about these Warriors, the oldest team in the league. It’s a bummer...
But for all the doom and gloom that comes when a curtain is about to close, there will still be plenty of games where all those guys see the floor, execute a gorgeous brand of basketball, put their pride on the line, and give themselves a chance to win.” Michael Pina, The Ringer
That’s the kind of assessment that sounds like a team’s season has already been written in pencil at best. And to be fair, it matches the broader tone around Golden State this summer. If Curry misses time, or if Jimmy Butler or Kristaps Porzingis are out for an extended stretch, the Warriors could absolutely end up near the bottom of the Western Conference.
But the league may be underselling the other side of the equation.
Every roster has a floor and a ceiling, and the Warriors’ ceiling has been treated like an afterthought. Yes, the floor is real.
But if the health breaks their way, Golden State is not close to the worst group in the West. They have more star power than teams like the Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings, and they have a clearer direction on both ends of the floor than they’re being given credit for.
There are also real paths to upside if several things break the right way. Yaxel Lendeborg doesn’t need to become a star immediately, but he does need to bring steady, high-level two-way play almost right away.
He looks capable of that. If Kristaps Porzingis can get into 65 games, with help from the Warriors’ training staff, while knocking down threes and anchoring Frank Vogel’s defense, Golden State suddenly has its second offensive option until Jimmy Butler returns to the fold.
Then there’s the late-season growth angle. If the version of Gui Santos and Brandin Podziemski that showed up at the end of last season is real and not just a product of rotation opportunities, that matters.
If De'Anthony Melton bounces back from his rough finish last season, that matters too. And if Butler can get to 15 points per game by season’s end, that changes the shape of the offense as well.
None of that adds up to a championship-level team. But it does point to a group that could be right there with teams that analysts like Pina have consistently ranked above them, including the Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz.
So yes, the pessimism around Golden State makes sense. The Warriors are old, and the margins are tight. But the ceiling is still there, and it shouldn’t be brushed aside before the season even begins.
In Other News...
Warriors Trade Buzz Around Karl-Anthony Towns Comes With One Awkward Catch
Karl-Anthony Towns has already emerged as one of the bigger names to watch as the Knicks weigh their next move, and the Warriors are said to be among the teams paying close attention. Towns holds a $61 million player option and could choose free agency next summer, which gives New York a reason to think about acting before the situation gets even more complicated. From Golden States side, the appeal is obvious: Towns is a high-end talent who could reshape the frontcourt picture if the right deal materializes.
The catch is in the mechanics, because any serious pursuit would have to navigate a tricky trade market while Towns is still seeking a max extension from the Knicks. Jimmy Butlers expiring contract and draft capital would likely be part of the framework, even as he works back from a torn ACL and is expected to return early next year. There is also a little basketball irony baked into the whole thing, given the shared history involved, which only makes the possibility feel even more layered as the offseason conversation develops. [Read more 🡒]
Buddy Hield Just Got An Unexpected Opening With The Hornets
The Hornets preseason injury list already has a ripple effect for Buddy Hield, who was traded to Charlotte and suddenly finds a clearer path to minutes. With LaMelo Ball dealt away and the roster thinning further, the teams need for perimeter shooting becomes even more obvious, which is where Hield can still make his case despite a recent stretch that has fallen short of his career efficiency.
Charlotte said Kon Knueppel and Grant Williams will sit out all of preseason with hamstring injuries and will be re-evaluated in the first week of the regular season. Knueppels absence, in particular, opens the door a little wider for Hield to work into the rotation, giving the Hornets another proven outside threat while they sort through an early-season lineup that is already missing pieces. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Camp Opens With One Huge Question Around Their Season Outlook
The Warriors open training camp in Oahu on Oct. 3 with the usual mix of familiarity and uncertainty that has come to define this stage of their season. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are back in the fold, the roster has been mostly retained, and the front office sprinkled in veteran help with Brandon Williams and Georges Niang on minimum deals, while rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is expected to get a real chance to matter. Golden State will not have to wait long to see where it stands, either, with its first preseason game set for Oct. 4 against the Clippers in Hawaii.
The bigger question, though, is how much of this group will actually be available when camp gets rolling and how quickly the rotation can take shape before the NBA season opens Oct. 21. Curry is managing a knee issue, and there is no sense of urgency around his contract situation, which only adds to the feeling that the Warriors are entering camp with more to sort through than a typical contender. For a team still trying to balance its veteran core with a younger supporting cast, the first few days in Hawaii should reveal plenty about the shape of this season, even if the most important answers are still waiting to be found. [Read more 🡒]