An over-reliance on Stephen Curry has been a recurring theme for the Golden State Warriors over recent seasons, and that appears more prominent than ever despite the franchise superstar entering his age 39 season.
Nothing lays bare the pressure on Curry more than ESPN's recent player rankings revealed this week, with the two-time MVP the only Warrior ranked in the top 90 of a list that only delivers pessimism on the eve of the season.
Warriors' over-reliance on Stephen Curry laid bare by ESPN rankings
Golden State went into last season with two of the top 20 players in the league according to ESPN's rankings, only for Jimmy Butler to tear his ACL in January just as the franchise was building some momentum.
Butler has subsequently spiralled from 18th to 92nd in ESPN's rankings, giving the 37-year-old another source of motivation, along with the desire for a new contract, once he returns from injury midway through the season.
The veteran six-time All-Star isn't the only big-name Golden State player whose reputation and standing in the league has taken a hit in past year. Draymond Green ranked 51st entering last season but has now fallen to 93rd one spot behind Butler, while Kristaps Porzingis has been snubbed from the list entirely after being 50th ahead of an ultimately short stay at the Atlanta Hawks.
The irony to this is the Warriors have already declared that they prioritized talent over availability with their roster moves this offseason, yet that talent equates to having only one player in Curry who ranks in the top 90 in the league.
Warriors desperately need improvement from young players
Butler, Green and Porzingis are all in the latter stage of their careers, meaning it's unlikely that they'll rise too significantly up individual rankings -- albeit Butler and Porzingis should elevate simply by being back on the floor more consistently.
What Golden State really need is for their young players to take a leap to lessen the burden on Curry. Brandin Podziemski developing into a top 100 player would solidify his claim to a $20 million per year contract, while 11th overall pick Yaxel Lendeborg could reach that stature rather quickly given he'll enter the league as a 24-year-old coming off Summer League MVP. Even Gui Santos isn't completely out of the top 100 discussion if he improves further from what we saw at the end of last season.
Whether it's through their veterans winding back the clock, young players improving significantly, a blockbuster mid-season trade or a combination of all three, the Warriors need to find a way to reduce the reliance on Curry during the latter stages of his career.
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