Every NBA championship team has a core of elite players that function as one unit, and for the Golden State Warriors, it has been the usual suspects of Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson.
Since winning their first championship in 2015, Curry, Green, and Thompson have endured a wide array of adversities, including injuries and the departure of Kevin Durant in 2019. But even without Durant, they still managed to anchor the Warriors into another thrilling title run this past season.
It’s too early to jump to conclusions but surely, Golden State is well aware there’s always room for improvement. And while Curry, Green, and Thompson are still expected to lead the way for the Warriors this season, there are some players in the squad who need to step their game up and be of great help to the trio.
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Let’s take a look at who those players are.
Golden State Warriors need the best out of James Wiseman
Arriving on basketball’s biggest stage at the age of 19 is no walk in the park and Warriors’ center James Wiseman knows it. The 2nd overall pick in the 2020 draft has yet to hit his stride when a knee injury saw him missing half of his rookie year and the entire 2021-22 season. However, all that should be a thing of the past now for Wiseman as the Warriors are in need of a reliable big man in the five spot.
Prior to the injury, Wiseman logged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 21.4 minutes of action for the Warriors. In his first two games this season, Wiseman has put up identical numbers but he must display significant improvement sooner rather than later. Wiseman should let the Warriors know that they were right when they banked on a high-ranking rookie.
Jonathan Kuminga has to deliver on the hype
Like Wiseman, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga also entered the league at 19. The expectation could’ve been quite low but Kuminga’s former G-League coach Reggie Hearn upped the ante when he compared the youngster to Kawhi Leonard. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr echoed Hearn’s take on Kuminga as he had seen the similarities first-hand.
“He’s so young and he’s so raw,” Kerr said last year on Kuminga via 95.7 The Game. “I think the Kawhi comparison, really physically, his body, he’s built like Kawhi.”
While the potential is there, pressure is mounting as Kuminga has yet to make his presence felt after playing 70 games in his rookie season with Golden State. In all fairness to Kuminga, his numbers were decent, having registered 9.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 17 minutes per outing as a wing player. Whether the comparison with Leonard is helping or not, Kuminga has no choice but to prove that he’s capable of becoming a well-rounded player this season.
Warriors need to get their money’s worth from Jordan Poole
After pulling off a breakout campaign last season, Jordan Poole inked a four-year, $140 million contract extension with the Warriors. Undeniably, Poole is coming off the best season of his career, having finished 2022-23 with career-highs of 18.5 points, four rebounds, and three assists per game.
However, he should be well aware that a massive contract extension meant he either maintain his productivity or better yet, improve upon it. The Warriors still got 80 games to play and that should be enough time for these players to get their rhythm going.