It’s Time to Stop the “Warriors are wasting Steph’s Prime” Narrative
I’ve been a fan of the Golden State Warriors since I was introduced to basketball at the age of six. I’m from San Jose, Calif., and watching my hometown team grow from one of the worst teams in the league to a dynasty is something quite special.
My first game was a matchup between the Houston Rockets and the Warriors in 2006.
Before the We Believe season. Before the Golden Dynasty. Before the Two Timelines era.
I’ve been around the block long enough to know how a team is “wasting a superstar's prime” and it’s time to stop that narrative.
Warriors superstar Stephen Curry is 34 years old.
Yes, it’s always the goal to win a championship each year, regardless of the organization's long-term goals. Without a win-now franchise, what are you even really accomplishing? The fact that General Manager Bob Myers and CEO Joe Lacob have acquired this mentality since Lacob bought the team back in 2010 really shows their understanding of what it takes to be great in this league.
Even during the Mark Jackson era, the team made the playoffs and gave the “Lob City” Clippers a run for their money. Then, they hired then-TNT broadcaster Steve Kerr and everything changed.
Curry was unlocked to a new level, changing the game with his 3-point barrages. Warriors forward Draymond Green was developed into a unique player where he didn't have to score double-digits to become a perennial All-Star, Warriors guard Klay Thompson became the second-best 3-point shooter the game has ever seen.
In a short amount of time, the Warriors flipped the script and began their legendary run. All of which happened during Curry’s prime.
In the past season, the Warriors hushed the critics and proved they can still win a championship.
We know it, the league knows it, everyone knows it. The Warriors are here to stay.
Now, as the Warriors transition into a new era, the stars are aging and already showing signs of decline.
Green has been a step slow on defense and his lack of offensive production has been a glaring problem. Thompson struggled in the early parts of the season but now has seemed to have found his groove. Curry demonstrated he still has the ability to put up monster numbers in an MVP-like season and still the Warriors are barely .500.
Yet, the Warriors aren’t “wasting Curry’s prime,” as some Twitter bloggers might claim.
They’re doing all they can in order to stay competitive and ride out the superstars as much as possible.
Yes, we, as DubNation, would always want to win a championship every single year. But, unfortunately, that’s just not reality.
If the Warriors can remain competitive and at least make a run in the playoffs each year — that won’t be “wasting Curry’s prime.”
There are always growing pains regardless of what team or era of Warriors basketball you look at.
The fact that the Warriors got the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, No. 7 and 14 picks in the 2021 NBA Draft, and extended guard Jordan Poole shows that the Warriors are more than capable of rebuilding while staying competitive.
Yes, it’ll be rough after Curry, Thompson, and Green ride off into the sunset for a while. But, the Warriors aren’t wasting Curry’s prime or stuck in basketball purgatory, unlike some other franchises.
Seeing some parts of the Warriors fan base ready to grab their pitchforks and start a riot every time a young player does something wrong pisses me off as a fan who has seen the worst of the Warriors.
But, the fact that the Warriors will try and make a run every single year by staying competitive doesn’t mean the Warriors front office is wasting Curry’s prime.
Do I want the Warriors to win every single year and run the league wild with their championship after championship? Yes, of course I do. Is it realistic? Absolutely not.