There haven’t been many like Stephen Curry. He’s not only led the Golden State Warriors to four titles, but he has completely changed the value and perception of the entire organization.
Curry has also been an exemplary leader and superstar. It is almost impossible to find a single controversial or sub-honorable act that Curry has done during his long and decorated NBA career.
For all of that and more, in the eyes of Warriors fans, Curry can do wrong. This is why the last couple of years of his career have been tough to watch. Since Curry’s miraculous championship run in 2022, the Warriors have not been able to compete with the best teams in the league.
Unlike LeBron James, who constantly puts pressure on his teams to do whatever they can to maximize his championship window, Curry has largely kept quiet, at least publicly, on the Warriors' roster decisions. This is part of why we all love Curry -- his humbleness, his trust in his teammates and himself to outperform expectations are why he is beloved all over the world.
Some are starting to wonder however, is Curry’s lack of demands on the Warriors to maximize his window actually hurting his chances at grabbing his fifth ring?
The Warriors roster lacks high-end talent
Kevin Durant has Devin Booker. LeBron James has Anthony Davis. Curry’s two closest contemporaries and their teams are trying to navigate a similar situation as the Warriors. How do you maximize the end of a future Hall-of-Famers career? The Lakers and Suns have decided to use everything in their arsenal to get Durant and James the most possible talent to surround themselves with.
The Warriors have not tried this strategy. This is largely because Curry hasn’t demanded it. Because of Curry’s trusting relationship with the Warriors organization, they have attempted their patented “two-timeline” approach. This approach has left them with young talent on the roster and draft picks for the future, but no secondary star for Curry.
Since Durant left the Warriors, Curry has been operating with weaker rosters than many other NBA superstars. They pulled off an underdog Finals victory with less talent in 2022, but it doesn’t look like they’ll be able to pull that off again. The league has gotten more talented with young teams like the Thunder, Rockets and Grizzlies leading the Western Conference standings.
Should Curry demand more?
So should Curry demand the Warriors trade away their draft picks and young assets for more help? It is hard to say. If you look at the Suns or Lakers they aren’t in a much better position than the Warriors are now, and their futures look even bleaker. The wrong moves could continue to waste Curry’s late career and ruin any chance of competing after he is gone.
What it all comes down to is, does the right player become available. Trading everything for a player like Brandon Ingram or Zach LaVine probably won’t be enough. Jimmy Butler is certainly intriguing but his age and injury history make him a risky pairing. On top of that, if Curry really wanted Butler, the Warriors hopefully would have made an offer for him.
When that perfect piece becomes available, hopefully Curry isn’t shy. The organization should do whatever he asks, so long as he does in the first place. Right now Curry’s approach probably hasn’t been the sole reason for the Warriors' lack of contention, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to flex his influence if the right player becomes available.