You can probably guess one of them.
With the NBA schedule officially released, we now know we only have to wait 69 days to see the Golden State Warriors back in action. Nice.
A lot’s going to happen between now and then. There will be reports and rumors. There will be anecdotes from camp, and the infamous “best shape of his life” quote bandied about. There will be players you get irrationally excited about, and some you get concerned about. There will be small signings, and maybe a small trade or two; maybe even a medium-sized, or big trade! And there will be preseason games to really stoke the flames and give you something to think about.
So while we wait for all that, why not find ways to get excited about the upcoming season? And so, without further hesitation, here are 11 reasons to be excited about the Warriors 2024-25 season. Why 11? Because they teach you in SEO school to not use round numbers in headlines, which seemed like an invitation to celebrate Klay Thompson.
A chip on their shoulder
I enjoyed the 2021-22 season. And yeah, I realize it’s not exactly breaking news to say that I enjoyed a year in which the Dubs ended atop the NBA’s mountain, hoisting a trophy. But it was a special year through and through, even though there were plenty of obstacles in the road.
Coming off back-to-back disappointing years in which they missed the playoffs, the Warriors were playing with a chip on their shoulder. Steph Curry and Draymond Green heard the voices that they were past their prime. Klay listened to the skepticism that he could return from two devastating injuries. Andrew Wiggins heard talk of how he was the same bust in the Bay as he was in Minnesota. Jordan Poole was subject to countless tweets articles and talk radio spots declaring him a waste of a draft pick.
Their fire was fueled and they played the whole season with something to prove.
There’s reason to expect that again this year. After another pair of disappointing seasons, Curry and Green are once again hearing that the championship window is well closed and that they have nothing to play for but paychecks and personal accomplishments. Wiggins will have been subject to a full offseason questioning if he can get back to his All-Star form after a rough year. Brandin Podziemski, who has not exactly hidden the way he collects slights, has surely heard plenty of chatter that the Warriors overvalued him by refusing to include him in Lauri Markkanen trade talks. Jonathan Kuminga has listened to plenty of people question his potential.
Does that mean the 2024-25 season will be as successful as the 2021-22 one? Of course not. But if there’s one thing I don’t expect this team to be in October, it’s lackluster and unmotivated.
Brandin Podziemski’s growth
Podz had an awesome rookie year, but it was also a pretty funny campaign. He entered the year with scouts saying he would be able to shoot well and score a bit, but unconvinced that his athleticism would allow him to defend, rebound, or penetrate the defense at the NBA level.
Instead, the opposite happened. He was one of the most prolific rebounding guards in the league — among players the NBA defines as guards, Podziemski’s 11.5 rebounds per 100 possessions was fifth-best in the league, trailing only 6’8 Josh Giddey, 6’7 Scottie Barnes, 6’7 Luka Dončić, and Russell Westbrook. His defense was surprisingly solid and full of constant disruption, and he had no problem getting beyond the first line of defense and into the lane.
But his scoring was a bit harder to come by. He overcame a slump to finish with a strong three-point percentage but didn’t get open for too many shots. He was over-reliant on floaters and hook shots and ended up at a true-shooting percentage of 54.0% — well below the league average. And his volume was quite low, as he finished 12th on the Warriors in points per 36 minutes, below players like Gary Payton II, Jerome Robinson, and Moses Moody.
If there’s one thing we know about Podziemski, it’s that he is as determined as anyone. He works incredibly hard, he’s dedicated to his craft, and he keeps receipts. He earned Steve Kerr’s trust last year, so we’ll see him a lot this season … if I had to guess, we’ll see a player who is leaps and bounds better than he was last year. And the player he was last year was pretty damn good to start with.
A happy Dray
Last year was hard for Draymond. He was suspended multiple times, including indefinitely, and openly spoke about how he almost retired. He underwent counseling, returned to the Warriors, and, to my eye, was a completely different person. He still got in some players’ faces and got into it with refs — he needs that fire — but he seemed a calmer, more peaceful, happier, and mentally healthier player.
I’m looking forward to seeing a full season of that. It’s important for him, first and foremost, but I’m also excited to see how it manifests on the court.
An evolved offense
I’ve written enough about how Terry Stotts figures to upgrade Golden State’s offense, so I don’t need to repeat myself here. But there’s plenty of reason to believe that the addition of Stotts to the coaching staff will give the team’s motion offense a facelift, which could not only bring out Curry’s best but allow the offense to thrive even when the chef is on the bench.
It’s time for Golden State’s offense to evolve and advance, and I’m excited to see it potentially go there.
Lobs to TJD
The Warriors unlocked something in the second half of the season. Trayce Jackson-Davis exploded as his rookie season came to an end, and what he added to the offensive scheme as a high-flying rim-roller was something the Warriors hadn’t seen since JaVale McGee’s days.
That will only get better this year. Jackson-Davis will be improved in his sophomore year, as will his chemistry with Curry and Green. He’ll have an even larger role, and the rim-rattling will be a key part of it.
Pick-and-pops
Speaking of young centers…
The Warriors only drafted one player in June, but they grabbed Quinten Post, a seven-footer who shot better than 42% from deep, on a decent volume, in each of his last two seasons.
On top of that, Post was a five-year senior who is 24 years old. Just like Jackson-Davis the year before, Post figures to be fairly NBA-ready. Outside of a few plays with Dario Šarić, we’ve never really been treated to Curry running a pick-and-pop with a center who can shoot. It’s a wrinkle to the offense that should be a joy to watch.
Shutdown defensive lineups
Golden State’s defense was pretty disappointing last year, as it ranked almost exactly league average. But while we can’t make excuses, we can at least see some logical reasons for the dud of a year. Green missed about a third of the season, and Payton about half of it. Thompson, while much better offensively last year than fans gave him credit for, really struggled on the defensive court.
Knock on wood, but the Warriors should get more games out of Green and Payton — two of the league’s top defenders — this year. They’ve added De’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson, who are highly talented defenders, and Podziemski, Jackson-Davis, Moody, and Kuminga are all a year older and more experienced. There’s reason to be optimistic that Wiggins can bounce back on that end of the court.
Not all of those players will shine this year. But a few of them will likely, which will give Kerr the option to put out some truly outstanding defensive lineups.
On that note…
Individual defensive growth
It’s an easily accepted NBA truism that it takes longer to learn how to play defense than offense. That shouldn’t be surprising, and there are lots of reasons for that.
But, as mentioned in the last segment, the Warriors have a lot of young players who could take leaps forward on that end of the court. Kuminga and Podziemski had a lot of defensive lapses, but they also had a lot of moments where they looked like defensive stars. Jackson-Davis ended the year looking miles more comfortable defensively. And Moody, always a solid defender, accessed a level of aggression on that end of the court last season, showing more willingness to try and force turnovers and take charges.
I expect all four of those players to grow defensively, and one or two of them to take a massive step forward. It will be a lot of fun to watch.
And let me repeat myself: On that note…
The Jonathan Kuminga leap
There were stretches last year where Kuminga looked not just like a potential star, but like a present star. Take, for example, the 13-game stretch from mid-January to mid-February in which he averaged 23.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 58.7% from the field, 43.8% from deep, and playing excellent defense.
While JK’s inconsistencies were at times frustrating, it’s always easier to be excited about a player who flashes star potential sporadically than a consistently solid player, because you know just how much potential is there. Will Kuminga ever be a bonafide star? We don’t know. But we know it’s a possible outcome because we’ve already seen it.
He’s taken big steps forward each year in the league. I’m excited for the next one.
Intelligent play
If you’re an NBA fan, then you’ve probably admired the basketball IQ of Melton and Anderson for some time now. They’re just tremendously intelligent basketball players who make such good decisions.
The Warriors offense is always going to be a little reckless. There will be turnovers that make you pull out your hair from time to time, and that’s just the way it is. But Melton and Anderson — and Buddy Hield, for that matter — should bring a presence and intelligence that puts the team more in control.
Steph being Steph
As the kids say, if no one got me, Steph Curry got me. The Dubs could go 0-82 (please don’t) and they’d still be must-watch TV because of No. 30.
We all just watched the Olympics. We saw what he’s still doing. Forget the wins. Forget the championships. Forget the narratives. When Steph Curry plays basketball, good times are had.
