"Just healthy egos... Haven't seen any red flags" - Stephen Curry compares current Warriors to last season

It sounded like Steph took jabs at some of his previous teammates.

After dominating the Portland Trail Blazers on the road to commence their season, Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry spoke highly about the team’s current roster. According to the NBA’s all-time three-point leader, the Warriors' locker room feels different this season in the sense that it’s filled with players who not only buy into their roles but also have no egos.

“It’s a beautiful locker room, guys that are happy to play the way we do and understand that everybody’s going to get an opportunity. Coach has done a pretty good job of explaining the situation we’re all in a positive way of how many guys can play or can’t play. To your point, you have to have a commitment and no agendas, no egos,” Curry said.

Life without Klay

"Chef Curry's" quotes aren’t necessarily a shot toward his long-time running mate, Klay Thompson, but it’s certainly not a coincidence that he said this after what he went through with him in the last two years. The toxicity in the Dubs’ locker room goes back to when Draymond Green punched Jordan Poole, and it has never been the same since.

Last season, not only did Green continuously act out—such as getting suspended and costing his team games—but Thompson was also a factor in the sense that he couldn’t settle on a contract agreement with the Warriors' management. That tension was apparent all season, and truthfully, it affected Klay’s performance, which was one of the reasons why the Warriors ended up with a record of 46-36 and didn’t sniff the Playoffs.

That’s why this season, Curry is looking forward to being in a locker room without all these external problems he couldn't control.

“Just healthy egos, and when you’re out there, you’re supposed to be there. When it’s not your night, you can't bring the team down with your energy, so haven’t seen any red flags in that, which has been great,” Curry added.

The Klay replacement

The Warriors made the tough call to part ways with their multi-time All-Star and brought in sharpshooter Buddy Hield as his replacement. Hield may not be a future Hall of Famer like Thompson, but he’s certainly already been more productive than the four-time champion he was in the last two years. Hield, who scored 22 points in 15 minutes in his Warriors debut, has received high praise from the GOAT shooter himself.

“The guy just loves to play basketball. He loves to hoop, he loves to be in the gym,” Curry said of Hield, via Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “Without Klay, you need shooting. We needed shooting anyway. He and I go one and two, Klay right there, shooting threes for the last eight years, so we know his skill set. We know what he is capable of doing. It's been a very seamless transition so far.”

Buddy will never be able to replicate Thompson’s legacy at the Bay, but he can certainly bring his own dynamic, which could be enough to help the Warriors have the redemption year that Steph is aiming for.