Last year I was losing sleep over the Golden State Warriors’ lackadaisical, uninspired regular season play. This year, I’m not stressed. Just look back to last season and the rollercoaster that was the Warriors before eventually riding to the top.
Despite the slow start to the 2022-23 season, we know that the Golden State Warriors’ current core is still capable of winning another NBA championship.
Limping into the 2022 playoffs, Golden State lost 12 of 17 games at one point down the stretch, resulting in a slip down to the third seed. Part of this disaster was without Stephen Curry, but even in games he played, the Warriors were sloppy, disheveled, and seemingly uninterested in winning. While I never lost hope, it would have taken a brave man to wager on them winning the title.
But come playoffs, it was as if Steve Kerr and the Warriors hit the magic “on” switch — they’d been there before and it ultimately showed on the biggest stage. Kerr tightened the rotations, and, in my opinion, put on a coaching masterclass in how to exploit matchups and balance player usage.
The players stepped up too — Curry returned to his normal self, Jordan Poole had a coming-out party, Andrew Wiggins shed any sliver of doubt that remained about his toughness, and Kevon Looney became a defensive ironman.
The Warriors didn’t face the stress of an elimination game as they cruised to their fourth title in eight seasons — so much for the worrisome trends in their regular season. Fast forward to this season, and the anguish the Warriors caused me at times last season is refreshingly absent.
The Warriors have played largely subpar basketball to date, resulting in a dismal 3-5 record and the troubling team rankings of 27th in turnovers, 23rd in rebounding, and 19th in three-point percentage.
While many Warriors fans are already sounding the alarm, questioning each and every decision Kerr and the front office make, I am not losing sight of the bigger picture. While Kerr knows he has a core that can win another title, he also acknowledges the complementary pieces that, if developed well, can raise their ceiling and potentially make them even better than last year’s squad.
For the fan cliques on Warriors Twitter who are still irate that Kerr is not “chasing wins”; get used to it. It’s all part of the plan. Kerr isn’t going to overuse his veterans in the regular season, even if it means an extra loss or three. He’ll tinker with lineups and the young core — James Wiseman, Moses Moody, and Jonathan Kuminga –- will get lots of run. It will frustrate you as they make errors along the way, but that’s all part of the process.
In the end, toughening up the youth and refining their skills will not only increase their chances for a title this year, but for many years to come. The playoff depth chart can shrink to as few as eight players, so, in theory, Kerr can get by without relying on the youth. However, if they can bring new dimensions to the team, it will ultimately make Golden State that much more dangerous and flexible with their matchups.
So, yes, Wiseman’s defense will frustrate you. Kuminga will have mental lapses. Moody will go through shooting slumps. But if all goes as planned, we will look back on the slow start of the regular season as a launching point for another title run.
The Warriors are in an enviable position as the defending champs, with a proven core that is capable of repeating the feat. That’s why I am not fretting one bit. Not yet. And neither should you.