The Golden State Warriors have played at a .500 level since opening the season with two straight wins.
They were blown out by the Oklahoma City Thunder in what was seen as a real measuring stick game.
But they managed to recover well, picking up an impressive win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.
Stephen Curry, still playing at an elite level despite his age, finished with 44 points. Jimmy Butler added 28 points of his own to help lead the way.
Kevin O’Connor takes aim at Golden State’s veteran core
The Warriors have been leaning on Curry even more than usual this year, and that’s not about to change. He’s always been the engine of the team, but it might be time to ask whether that load is sustainable over a full season at this stage of his career.
Butler has stepped in well enough as a secondary option, but the question remains: can he do more to ease Curry’s workload? It’s something the Warriors will need to address if they’re serious about making a deep playoff run.
And Draymond Green hasn’t helped. He managed just 3 points in consecutive games against Indiana and Oklahoma City, then followed that up with 6 points on 1-for-10 shooting against San Antonio. The production just isn’t there right now.
There’s been a lot of criticism aimed at Golden State’s younger players like Brandin Podziemski, but Kevin O’Connor pushed back on that narrative, pointing instead to the team’s veteran core as the real issue.
“Oh please! The old guys are the problem in Golden State. Not the youth,” O’Connor said. “Draymond Green has declined and Jimmy Butler has always been a malcontent who has failed to step up in the biggest moments for multiple years now. “Steph Curry is still great and deserves so much better.”
Could the Warriors look to make another significant trade?
The move didn’t turn them into title favourites, but it did signal a willingness to make big changes. It’s clear that the current roster isn’t built to win now, so will the front office look to shake things up again before this year’s deadline?
Jonathan Kuminga becomes trade-eligible on January 15th, and he’d likely draw interest from teams around the league. Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski also remain young assets who could be included in any potential deals.
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Lauri Markkanen has been mentioned as a possible target for Golden State before, so his name could come back into play. There’s also an outside chance the Warriors could get involved if Anthony Davis becomes available.
With Stephen Curry still playing at an elite level, there may be a case for going all-in while they still have their franchise cornerstone performing at this level.
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