The Golden State Warriors are off to as good a start as any team in the league, posting an 8-2 record in very competitive schedule thus far, beating teams such as Portland and Houston on the road, and embarrassing both teams in LA – the Clippers at home, and the Lakers at the Staples Center.
This past weekend, I was watching a show on the “Core Four” of the New York Yankees, a crop of four players – Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte – that all came through the minor leagues and made it to the big leagues all around the same time, leading the Yankees to five World Series titles as they played together.
It got me to thinking: do the Golden State Warriors potentially have a “Core Four” brewing?
Absolutely. There is no reason to say that Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green couldn’t form a core of the franchise that could provide winning basketball for many years to come.
Curry is the face of the franchise – after fighting through injuries early in his career to both of his ankles, his career has ascended through the roof. Now healthy, Curry is widely regarded as a top-10 player in the game, and slowly may be taking the throne of the league’s best point guard. His ability to make all the big shots, as well as his development as a passer and much improved defense, has taken his game to the next level. And in the midst of a four year, $44 million dollar contract, Curry is easily the biggest bargain in all of basketball right now.
Thompson’s game has risen immensely – after signing a four-year, $69 million dollar contract at the start of the season, it looks clear that he is primed to make the jump from a solid player to a star: one that teams are now scared to face. Thompson’s shot and excellent defense has always been there for him, but his vast improvement in attacking the rim and confidence he has on the floor is what looks to make him one of the best two-way guards in the game.
Green has surely exceeded the expectations that the Warriors front office had for him when they took him in the second round of the 2012 NBA draft. Now, he is starting to get the attention of those around the game. You look at Green and he doesn’t scream “star,” but he just simply hustles his behind off every game, plays tough defense, is physical on the boards, and has now evolved into an offensive threat. His three-point shot especially has become something for opposing defenses to worry about. However, thanks to defenses first having to worry about slowing down the “Splash Brothers”, Green does get a good amount of looks. With the injury of David Lee at the beginning of the year, Green was asked to hold down the fort until Lee got healthy, but it seems like with his impressive start to the season, he may have just played himself into being a full-time starter. His fiery attitude on the court is something that complements the rest of the Warriors superbly.
Barnes is a bit of a wild card. If we go way back, he was the No. 1 high school recruit going into college. He was a tad underwhelming in his one year at North Carolina, given the extremely high expectations for him. Still, Barnes was taken in the lottery by Golden State. He had a very impressive rookie campaign, punctuated by an even more impressive playoffs. But when he was relied on to lead the second unit last season, his production dropped and he wasn’t the same player. However, after Steve Kerr has put him back with the starting unit this year, Barnes looks revitalized, like a new player. We all know the raw athleticism and talent is there, but if Barnes can have the confidence to take his shots and make things happen with the ball, his ceiling is very high.
Yes, you might think its crazy for me to say that this group of players who haven’t made it past the second round of the playoffs in their career could become regarded as the “Core Four,” and I wouldn’t argue your position.
But let’s take a broad look on it: this is only the third season that all four have played together, and Golden State is turning into a legitimate threat to make noise in the playoffs this season. Curry is only 26, Thompson and Green are 24, and Barnes is 22. They are all about the team, as no player here is selfish and will take 40 shots a game — they all play tough defense, will make the extra pass, and most importantly enjoy playing with each other. This may just be the perfect blend – Curry as the superstar running the point, Thompson as the solid and durable player on both ends of the floor at the 2, Barnes as the guy who can feed off of the “Splash Bros” success at the 3, and Green as the energetic guy on the court who can provide momentum on both sides of the floor, playing power forward.
If blessed with healthy careers and the chance to possibly all play together for many more seasons, these extremely talented players could form the chemistry to make one of the best core groups of players in the NBA.