The legendary Steph Curry catapulted Golden State back atop the NBA mountain this year with a sensational Finals series. Photo: AP.
The Golden State Warriors dynasty was supposed to have finished after their devastating loss to Toronto in the 2019 NBA finals.
Yet, like the villain in a slasher flick, these Dubs just won’t die.
For the fourth time in eight years, the Warriors are NBA champions. This time around, they’ve overcome so much: an ageing and injury-prone core; a 15-win 2020 season; a heartbreaking play-in loss in 2021; Kevin Durant’s defection; and Klay Thompson’s legs practically falling off.
This is without a doubt the sweetest of their four rings.
Let’s examine what the Warriors can do to stay atop the NBA mountain in 2023.
The roster
Golden State’s ownership group, led by the controversial Joe Lacob, has never hidden its ambition of creating a ‘Spurs-esque’ 20-year run of contention.
To that end, it has managed to balance a veteran-laden roster with some intriguing young talent. The consequence of that, though, is a roster that is almost alarmingly top heavy.
Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and the ghost of James Wiseman form the core of the next great Warriors team, or at least it’s hoped.
Poole is the oldest of that quartet at just 22 and, Wiseman aside – though he has serious pedigree coupled with horrible luck, all have shown flashes in their early careers.
Poole in particular has impressed, averaging 18.5 points and four assists a game this season and he’s already an incredible shot maker who is improving his ability to create for others.
He’s also one of the worst defensive players in all of basketball but he’s picked up a lot on the offensive end from his mentorship with Stephen Curry. Hopefully he picks up some of Curry’s nous and resilience on defence, too.
Enough of burying the lede, though. When you think of the Golden State Warriors you instantly think of their veteran core, led by the inimitable Wardell Stephen Curry II.
Steph finally got his Finals MVP with a devastating series performance, averaging 31.2 points per game and, when required, carrying the Warriors to key victories. His performance in game four in Boston was a masterpiece.
It’s telling that one of the first people that Thompson went to after the buzzer sounded to end game six was the physical therapist that had worked so closely with him over the past two years.
After suffering a torn ACL and a blown achilles practically a year apart, missing almost 30 months of basketball as a result, it’s understandable that Klay wasn’t the same player that he was.
Now 32, Klay still put up 20 points a game, but his shooting efficiency was noticeably down, as was his defensive impact, but he’s still pretty good, mind you. How he plays next season will be fascinating.
Draymond Green looked spry all season after effectively going at 50 per cent when the Warriors were in their down years, and his defensive performance against Nikola Jokic in their first-round match-up against Denver was spectacular.
In these Finals he, frankly, struggled before putting a brilliant display in the close-out game.
We’ve talked about the youth; we’ve talked about the veterans. There are a pair of Warriors – one more heralded than the other – that bridge the generation gap and have proven vital in the Warriors’ resurgence: Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney.
Wiggins has finally found his niche as an elite complementary player after a career miscast as a first option.
If you want a case study on how time and space improve you as a shooter, look no further than Wiggins. A 33.2 per cent three-point shooter through his Timberwolves days, he’s a full five percent more accurate – including a career-high 39.3 this season – in his time as a Warrior.
There was a brief (and ridiculous) clamour for Wiggins to take home the Finals MVP and while he was never going to win it, he was still a huge part of the championship.
Looney won’t get the same headlines, though he’s quietly just as vital to Golden State’s success.
Looking at a box score will never do Looney justice. He is a tough interior battler with a vice-like grip and his ability to hang on the perimeter with many quicker guards and wings allows the Dubs to move their weaker defenders out of harm’s way.
He’s also willing to do the dirty work to free up his shooters and allow Green to be a roving menace on defence.
Behind those big names are some lovely stories: Wilt Chamberlain’s illegitimate grandson (just kidding … sort of) Otto Porter finally found a home in Golden State and Gary Payton II finally found a place in the NBA after years of toiling in lower leagues. At one stage he applied for a job on the Warriors coaching staff. Now he’s an NBA champ.
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Team needs
Almost by definition, a championship-winning side doesn’t need a whole lot. That means this will be a fairly short section.
The Warriors’ veterans are all stars, or at the least stars in their roles, the youngsters are all oozing with potential and the guys in their prime are fantastic at what they do.
If there is anything that the team needs, it’s probably more veteran depth, though the continued emergence of Golden State’s younger players – and some modicum of health for Wiseman – should help alleviate that concern.
Perhaps the Warriors’ biggest issues will come through their extensions and who they can and can’t retain.
Which leads us seamlessly into …
The cap sheet
The wonderful NBA writer and podcaster Danny Leroux is fond of saying that ownership is the biggest competitive advantage in the NBA. He’s not wrong.
For all of Lacob’s insufferable soundbites, he has proven more than willing to spend whatever is required to field a championship team.
Golden State this season splashed out a record – by a long, long way – $350 million on payroll and taxes.
To put that in perspective, it’s more than what Oklahoma City, Orlando and Memphis paid for their rosters, combined. That number is expected to rise beyond $400 million for the 2023 season.
The fact that the Warriors, as things stand, only have six players under contract at $158 million is ludicrous. Both Wiseman and Poole have team options that bring the total to $171 million (Wiseman’s a certainty to be picked up).
Poole, though, is extension eligible. He exploded this season, averaging over 20 points a game as a starter prior to Thompson’s return and while his shooting gets a lot of attention, he’s actually extremely effective going to the basket where his nimble footwork and ability to change pace create the tiny openings he thrives upon.
The Warriors could defer his extension to next season knowing that he’ll be a restricted free agent, but the threat of losing him without the ability to replace him, given their payroll issues, probably pushes the Dubs to extend him this off-season. Look for something in the ballpark of $22 million a season for him.
Likewise, Wiggins is extension eligible as he will be in the final year of his deal this season. He won’t get anything like the $33 million he’ll pick up in 2023, though he’ll still get a hefty chunk of cash.
Wiggins will likely receive an offer somewhere north of $25 million a year, but well short of the $30 million threshold.
The Warriors also have calls to make on Looney, Payton and Porter.
Payton and Porter could both conceivably sign for a figure close to the taxpayer mid-level exception – something in the $5-7 million range. Looney, though, could get close to $10 million.
How the Warriors approach Looney’s extension could give us some clues as to how they’re feeling about Wiseman’s health and development.
Of their other notable players, Nemanja Bjelica and Juan Toscano-Anderson are minimum contract candidates, whilst it’s highly likely that Andre Iguodala hangs up his sneakers.
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