Just four more weeks till we see the dawn of the new NBA season. But, as the sun shines its hope on all teams for a renewed chance at the Larry O’Brien, there’s still some sort of confusion in the Bay Area for Steve Kerr and his Warriors. Earlier during the off-season, Dubs’ saw Klay Thompson bidding adieu to Curry and Green, to now play alongside Luka Doncic in the Mavericks. Since then, it’s been a roller coaster ride for the GSW franchise since they’ve been pretty unsuccessful in landing any major star. With questions arising on the front office’s tactics and decisions, Steve Kerr finally jumps in to clear the air.
On the TK Show (Audacy Original), Kerr admits that the organization hasn’t forgotten Steph, and they’re ensuring that the team is at maximized efficiency. “That’s what Joe Lacob and Mike Dunleavy are committed to and that’s what they attempted to do all summer,” he told host, Tim Kawakami.
Kerr Continued, “Trying to get another star, couldn’t do that. Ended up spending money for three really good role players to come in and solidify our team. Gives us a lot of options going forward, gives us flexibility with some contracts. So I love what we have done organizationally and I think Steph really likes it, as well. He’s been in the gym these last few days. Fun seeing him getting to work and getting ready.”
via Reuters
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GSW did have a goal in mind – to add Paul George and Lauri Markkanen to their roster in the offseason. But, their quest fell short after PG entered free agency, landing a spot with the 76ers. On the other hand, Markkanen signed a five-year contract with the Utah Jazz worth $238 million.
And this trend has been like this for quite some time. Ever since Durant left the Bay Area in 2019, Warriors have been trying really hard to add high-caliber talent to win a championship. They did manage to add Brandon Ingram and Zach Lavine, but even after a few years with them, nothing significant has materialised.
Without Durant, and Curry’s right-hand man, Thompson, Warriors really need to address the issues of depth and offensive structure in their roster. They’re currently struggling to define roles behind Curry.
On the surface level, this situation is of course demoralizing, especially for Curry. He enters the 2024 season as one of the NBA’s oldest 15 players. It was the same case last year too, when GSW did not make it to the playoffs. With Thompson gone, Andrew Wiggins lingers around the team, rather painfully, and Draymond Green being Draymond Green (read: reckless, or a ticking time bomb). Without someone to rely on, Curry was desperately trying to tread waters last year. Expecting something reasonably high from just one star on the team isn’t fair, even when it’s Curry.
Internal growth is a major factor to consider for the team right now. No matter how brilliant Posziemski is right now, he is still not there. Jonathan Kuminga, too, might or might not break out, Warriors have been waiting for far too long for that to happen. His development is either a boon or a bane for the team, totally depending on how quickly it might (or might not) happen.
And then, there’s the case of Moses Moody. He is talented, no doubt there. He is 22 and has much less worth on the court than what’s projected in the market. But again, he too isn’t still there. So, injecting their offensive roster with bursting talent and diversifying is a dire need of the hour.
Despite all of this, Curry is still happy to remain a Warrior. Even when analysts like Brian Windshorst come and say that he could seek out a trade in case the team fails to get him another top-tier talent ahead of the 2025 trade deadlines.
Amidst all this, stands one POV – Is Steve Kerr to be blamed for this situation? Stephen A. Smith thinks so.
Stephen A. Smith blames Steve Kerr for the Steph Curry situation
Before and during the Paris Olympics, everyone wanted to play alongside Steph Curry. King James, Jrue Holiday, Tatum, KD, everyone. They were excited around the idea to build a roster alongside Curry. Despite this “energy” Warriors’ front office was incapable of adding any true stars to their team. Stephen A. was appalled at the thought. He went ahead to shred Steve Kerr as being part of the problem here.
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A month ago, on his show, First Take, Smith said, “We’re talking about a Steph Curry that still looks like he’s in his prime. Still the greatest shooter on the planet, still good for 25 [points] a game. Why the hell can’t you get him [help]? He’s one of the nicest guys on the planet. Teammates love him. The organization loves him. The city has deified him.”
