As Steph Curry’s 15th year in the league gets underway, the star point guard knows the Warriors’ veteran core doesn’t have many years left to win another NBA championship.
And if Golden State’s 2023-24 team wants a shot at hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy again in eight months, Curry pinpointed the identity it will need.
“A smart basketball team that is connected, right?” Curry told reporters before Friday’s preseason win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. “[Warriors coach Steve Kerr] has been saying that since he first got back from Team USA, talking about our team. We need to be connected; we need to be in a position where we all complement each other when we’re out there on the floor.”
Curry’s right — Kerr has made “connectivity” a point of emphasis for the Warriors in training camp. The coach previously admitted he failed to connect Golden State amid a slew of obstacles last season, and now, the team has taken action to try and reestablish its championship culture.
Through a number of veteran additions this offseason — including Chris Paul and Dario Šarić, both in search of their first rings — the hope is that more experience on the floor and mentorship on the bench can stabilize a ship still capable of sailing through the postseason waters.
“Obviously what CP brings [is] another great ball handler, somebody that can help orchestrate the offense,” Curry continued. “We have some more veterans on top of [Jonathan Kuminga] and Moses [Moody], [who are] taking the next step in their young careers. We’ll probably have some surprise guys who will crack the rotation to help us.
“It’s going to be by committee like it always has when we win, but I think a high-IQ basketball team that understands we’re not going to have too many more crack at this, so we have to figure out how to do it, and do it now.”
