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.
Golden State Warriors veterans plan to retain their edge.
Former All-Star Klay Thompson had a rough start after being sidelined with both an Achilles and an ACL tear in back-to-back seasons. There is a case to be made that since he has more time to get acclimated, he should be better than he was this past season. He may never be like the version of Klay Thompson who once scored 60 points on only 11 dribbles, but there is hope that he can build on what he did last season.
Draymond Green might be a different story. While his defense remains elite, he seems to be on a steady decline offensively. In the 2022 NBA Finals, the former Michigan State Spartan had a true shooting percentage of 39%. This is amongst the worst in NBA Finals history for players receiving real minutes. His ability to stay healthy has also been compromised, as he has averaged roughly 50 games played in the regular season over the past three years.
That being said, his defense is here to stay, and with the right lineups, Golden State can overcome his offensive woes.
The Golden State Warriors can still explore the trade market if need be.
If all else fails, this team has no shortage of assets to use on the trading block. All the youthful players I’ve just described can just as easily be cobbled together for more “win-now” help. If Golden State has a rough start or is not willing to wait for these players to develop, then these assets can be moved in a package for a “Myles Turner level” player, or even a star they deem worthy of pursuing. They also own all of their own picks to use as an extra incentive.
The Golden State Warriors are a tremendous dynasty that is entering a twilight stage that’s reminiscent of the Tim Duncan-led San Antonio Spurs. It felt like every single year, the Spurs were regarded as ‘too old,’ but they were always contending. They drafted well, developed talent internally, and maintained a system that led them to compete from 1999 to 2017. Steve Kerr, a former Spur himself, has already mentioned how the 2014 San Antonio Spurs offense inspired him to develop his own variation of that play style.
This team has the ability and assets to pull off a similar run with a franchise player in Steph Curry, whose leadership and loyalty remind me of the Big Fundamental himself.
Golden State has many avenues to compete for as long as San Antonio did and, with a little luck, will be raising the Larry O’Brien trophy once again in 2023.