30 Teams in 30 Days: Golden State Warriors

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Offseason
Last season
The shift from leaning heavily on the championship core to giving generous minutes to developing young players began in earnest, with predictably mixed results. Stephen Curry was once again a star, shooting 40.8% from deep on high volume and tricky to defend (especially in the clutch). But that was the extent of the big producers among veterans as Klay Thompson, Chris Paul and Draymond Green all showed traces of decline.
Youngsters Jonathan Kuminga and rookie Brandin Podziemski stood out and were generally dependable. Still, the Warriors were far removed from their championship era, and it showed for a team that couldn’t make it out of the SoFi Play-In Tournament, bounced at home by 24 points by the Kings.
Summer summary
It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday. That was a Boyz II Men lyric, correct? It was appropriate regarding Thompson and the end of his Warriors career. And what a career it was: a feared 3-point shooter and fellow “Splash Brother” to Curry who struck fear into defenses everywhere on four championship teams.
However, the relationship between the team and a future Hall of Famer turned rocky, as is usually the case whenever a star on the decline believes he’s still worthy. Thompson bounced in a sign-and-trade to Dallas, leaving the cash-strapped Warriors to round out the rotation with cheap replacements.
Spotlight on
Exactly where is Andrew Wiggins in the grand scheme? Only Curry started more games last season, but Wiggins’ production once again dipped below what he contributed to the 2021-22 championship team, leaving the basketball world to gossip about his future in the Bay. It’s likely the Warriors could attempt to send him elsewhere by the trade deadline if his southward trend continues, although his value on the market seems shaky at this point.
How far can the Warriors go?
Here comes the youth movement in Golden State: Kuminga, Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis all seem prepared for bigger roles. Veterans Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson arrive, too, for rotational spots. The transition is transitioning, you might say, because there is no other choice. This isn’t 2018 anymore.
That said, the Warriors don’t appear to be legit contenders in a stacked West, which means the Play-In Tournament seems a realistic ceiling.
Up next: Orlando Magic | Previously: Sacramento Kings
30 Teams in 30 Days: Complete schedule
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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