With the Golden State Warriors winning their seventh title, one has to wonder if they can do it again with an aging core. The average age of the Warriors’ big three is now 33 years old, which isn’t too old, but they’re not spring chickens either.
We have seen Klay Thompson and even Draymond Green, to an extent, play below their standards. Steph Curry continues to age gracefully, but if his usual sidekicks start to decline rapidly, what can be done to compensate for that? The Golden State Warriors have a few options to pursue that can bring them back to the top.
The Golden State Warriors need to tap into their young talent.
It’s easy to forget that this team has a former number two overall pick who is just 21 years old in James Wiseman. The former Memphis Tiger missed the entire past season due to injury, but is now expected to rejoin the team going forward. While he has had a shaky start to his career, it’s rare for a top lottery pick to be drafted into a contending team and contribute to winning basketball right away.
However, he is exactly what Golden State needs right now. He’s an energetic big man who can attack the rim while giving this team a good interior scoring presence. He has the capacity to be a good rim protector and a lob threat as well.
We can’t forget Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody either. Both players are still a bit raw, but if they can consistently contribute with defense and floor spacing, they can give Golden State some much-needed depth. While Moody is a self-creating combo guard, Kuminga is a multi-faceted forward who can contribute to a little bit of everything on the court. The Warriors need these players to grow as their veterans decline to balance the roster and remain in contention.
Sixth-man Jordan Poole is also another valuable contributor who can only get better as he develops. His shot selection might be questionable at times, but he is a walking bucket. With a bit more control and consistency, you can expect him to continue to help Steph Curry with the scoring load.