BYDEAN SIMON PUBLISHED 7 HOURS AGO
The legendary point guard remains determined following an early post-season exit.
On the most recent episode of Golden State Warriors forward/center Draymond Green’s podcast, The Draymond Green Show, the 2017 NBA Defensive Player of the Year updated his audience on 2x NBA MVP Stephen Curry’s continued desire to win.
He described a moment he shared with Curry in the locker room following the Golden State Warriors’ disappointing loss to the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Play-In Tournament. When the 36-year-old Curry could have taken a moment to rest after the conclusion of season No. 15, he chose instead to further lead his group through the struggle, promising his teammates that their winning ways were not coming to a close.
After six trips to the Finals, four NBA championship victories, and a Finals MVP in 2022, it’s still not enough for the greatest shooter in the game.
On his first episode of The Draymond Green Show since the Warriors’ elimination, Green was transparent in answering questions regarding the future of the team. He spoke freely and candidly about a decision that Klay Thompson will need to make in free agency this summer, and about his own personal struggles with the free agency period. Green also openly admitted that it wasn’t very fun to be missing out on the playoffs, and his competitive teammate Curry felt the same way. In the Golden 1 Center locker room, Curry told Green that he didn’t anticipate their wild journey ending anytime soon.
“We ain’t done.”
In his 15th season in which Curry played 74 games, he averaged 26.4 points and 5.1 assists, shooting 40.8 percent from three-point range on 11.8 attempts from distance per contest. The NBA’s all-time leader in made three-pointers is also the front-runner for the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year award.
For all intents and purposes, Curry is still in the prime of his career, playing his most games in a season since 2016-17. For Golden State, the main goal is to take advantage of Curry’s abilities while he is at the peak of his powers in an effort to extend their league-altering dynasty further. At least, that’s what many think it should be.
Stephen Curry Clutch Stats 2023-24 (min. 40 Clutch GP)
After the Warriors’ 15-win 2019-20 season, the organization’s front office started experimenting with what is referred to as the ‘two-timeline plan.’ This is a scheme that involved replacing their key veteran rotational pieces with promising draft prospects that (in theory) could help the Warriors’ Big 3 contend in the present while also bridging the gap towards the teams’ future.
While this effort did culminate in an NBA championship win in 2022, their rookies Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody were playing behind veteran role-players like Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica. Since their veterans’ departure and the increase in minutes for both Kuminga and Moody as their replacements, along with the acquisition of rookies Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis, the Warriors haven’t made a serious push to reach the mountain-top again.
A Large Off-Season Looms for Golden State
How can the Warriors best prepare themselves for title contention in 2024-25 and beyond?
As Klay Thompson is set to hit unrestricted free agency and the Warriors’ options are getting more limited by the day, what is the likelihood that Golden State can make a franchise-altering move that extends Curry’s championship window?
In recent months, rumors have been swirling in regard to potential Warrior signings or trade acquisitions, assuming they are either ready to move Thompson or their promising young talent. For a time, Los Angeles Lakers superstar and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer LeBron James was a candidate for a relocation to Golden State, but the idea has faded as of recently.
On a more realistic note, Logan Murdock of The Ringer reported that the Warriors have been eyeing Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns. Though Towns hasn’t necessarily been made available for trade, the Timberwolves might be financially forced to let go of the player they selected with the first pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. Since Minnesota could potentially be paying a hefty luxury tax to keep their core of Anthony Edwards, Towns, and Rudy Gobert together, offers could be fielded if they feel as though freeing up money is absolutely necessary.
Other than a major trade acquisition, the Warriors could completely center their focus on the home-grown talent they’ve come to find worthwhile, as Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody are both eligible for contract extensions this summer. As a result, this leaves more room for imagination that a Thompson departure, while bittersweet, could help the Warriors catch a massive financial break.
If there’s one part of this Warriors team that will remain constant through the next few years, it’s Stephen Curry’s competitive fire, and his determination to lead the franchise to its eighth championship. Curry talked to reporters in his exit interview after the tough loss to Sacramento, where his facial expressions and overall demeanor showed that he felt his team’s story was not yet finished, and that he wanted it to end on his terms. More specifically, with at least one more date with the Larry O’Brien trophy.
“It’s raw right now just sitting here figuring out if I want to watch the playoffs or not. On April 16, this is unfamiliar territory…again I just want to win…I just want to win.”
