With every short stint that Warriors rookie forward Jonathan Kuminga plays this season, Golden State’s grand scheme becomes apparent — and likely a bit frightening for NBA observers waiting for the Warriors dynasty to end.
The Warriors — led by team owner Joe Lacob and general manager Bob Myers — have stockpiled young talent to place around their aging, championship core of superstars Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson.
It’s worked perfectly thus far, with the Warriors sitting atop the Western Conference while waiting for the youngsters to get up to speed and for Thompson to return from injury. Rookies Kuminga and guard Moses Moody have looked like fine prospects in limited NBA action. And second-year center James Wiseman — the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft last year — is also set to return from injury in January after an eye-opening first year.
Here’s Curry’s take on the young trio, courtesy of Sports Illustrated.
“They’re all amazing talents,” Curry enthuses. “They’re all pretty versatile.”
He singles out Moody for his shooting and defense, praises Kuminga as “a freak athlete” with a “good feel for the game” and calls Wiseman “the perfect guy that can literally do everything on the court.” Says Curry: “They have a lot in the bag.”
Sports Illustrated
Curry honed in on the young trio’s versatility, and he’s right to do so. That’s a coveted attribute in the Warriors’ motion offense and also its defense, which is notorious for switching man-to-man assignments on the fly.
We can also throw third-year guard Jordan Poole into the Warriors’ young mix. He’s a scoring machine, who incredibly has some Curry-like characteristics in his game.
Just before the NBA Draft, as the Warriors’ scheme became apparent, there were reports that the Warriors’ vets would rather the front office trade its lottery pics for a proven player — such as Wizards G Bradley Beal — than take on such a massive youth movement. But taking Curry’s comments into account, plus statements from other vets, it’s clear they are all-in on grooming their new young teammates for greatness.
If the Warriors’ youth are up to the challenge, Golden State’s dynasty could stretch far beyond a conventional timeframe. There’s a lot to be decided in the short term, however, such as whether the young players — probably Kuminga and Wiseman for the most part — can play prominent roles as the Warriors chase an NBA title this season.
Poole has already arrived, however, and has been a major reason for the Warriors’ lofty record thus far. Will the Young Dubs follow suit? Taking Curry’s assessment into account, it seems like just a matter of time.
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