The Golden State Warriors have built their roster with the ambitious standard of producing a fifth championship in 11 years. It's an admittedly realistic goal, as the top-end talent assembled has the experience and pedigree to justify the lofty expectations.
In order for the Warriors to realize that dream, however, they must come to terms with a simple reality: The current team isn't ideally built for the regular season.
Few teams are better equipped than Golden State to have a chance at winning any postseason series they play in. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are four-time NBA champions, with the former still torching opposing defenses and the latter finishing as a finalist for the 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year award.
Furthermore, Jimmy Butler has led teams to the NBA Finals on two occasions since 2020—earning the nickname Playoff Jimmy for his uncanny ability to raise his ceiling under the brightest of lights.
The daunting reality facing that trio, however, is that they're all at least 35 years of age. Each has defied Father Time in an almost unprecedented manner, but the grueling nature of an 82-game season can even take its toll on players in their athletic prime—let alone those on the other end of it.
With this in mind, Golden State must embrace one objective above all others during the 2025-26 regular season: Finding a way to pace their stars along.
Warriors can't expect 35-and-over stars to dominate regular season
Butler, Curry, and Green are as safe a bet as any to take over a postseason series in their respective ways, but getting to the playoffs and securing an ideal seed is another matter entirely. Golden State is well aware of that fact, as it's finished better than the No. 6 seed just once over the past six seasons—and they won a championship during the lone exception.
Butler's Miami Heat experienced similar results, with their trip to the 2023 NBA Finals coming with the added burden of winning series as the No. 8 seed.
As such, in order to at least avoid the Play-In Tournament, the Warriors will need the supporting cast to take a significant step forward in 2025-26. They hardly shoulder the full weight of a 50-win dream, but the younger players on the roster are better equipped to endure the regular season.
As such, players such as Trayce Jackson-Davis, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, Quinten Post, and even 32-year-old veteran Buddy Hield need to help secure victories when the stars need aid.
Beyond stepping up when the stars are struggling or need rest, the supporting cast must ensure that the Warriors function as a well-oiled machine rather than a top-heavy rotation. At the very least, they must prove capable of pacing Golden State through three quarters before the stars close efforts out.
Without the necessary balance, the task of securing an ideal place in the standings will prove challenging enough that otherwise realistic title dreams are placed in jeopardy.
Thankfully, Moody and Podziemski are coming off of the best regular seasons of their respective careers, and Hield has a game-breaking jumper that can swing momentum in Golden State's favor. Jackson-Davis and Post, meanwhile, have showcased the ability to positively influence an outcome.
With the Jonathan Kuminga situation still unresolved, however, the pressure is officially on those who are already signed to ensure the burden doesn't weigh too heavily on the veteran stars.