If you were Stephen Curry, would you be excited right now? Less than four months after winning the 2017 title, Curry -- along with Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and the rest of the Golden State Warriors -- is in China for a couple of meaningless games against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The every-possession-matters high of the NBA Finals won't be back anytime soon, and they will be expected to be nearly perfect as they work to return there for the fourth straight season. For a team that has made joy an integral part of its identity, it could be a challenge just to keep things fun.
When Golden State is not facing the Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs, it will be battling boredom and everything else that comes with success at the highest level. It is a credit to the Warriors' individual personalities and collective style of play that, over the past few years, it has not appeared difficult for their players to stay satisfied with their roles. That could be tricker now that the team is more loaded than ever -- Nick Young and Omri Casspi give them an almost unfair amount of shooters -- but there are a couple of things working in their favor: They have established a culture that encourages the kind of cohesion they need, and the players seem to know how special this situation is.
This is a superteam with few flaws. Health permitting, they will remain the massive favorites to win the title all season. Unlike this time last year, there are no big questions about how they'll share the ball or whether or not they are big enough or deep enough. Their stars, who range from 27 to 29 years old, can still credibly say they are getting better and rounding out their games. The pieces fit. The formula works.
The coaching staff, however, is still looking for improvement. As CBS Sports' Matt Moore pointed out, Steve Kerr has already called for his team to pass the ball more precisely. While they are incredibly unselfish and they move the ball like crazy, Golden State finished 20th in turnover percentage last season. Turnovers are Kerr's pet peeve, and he would like to see his team limit them without compromising its pace, creativity and flow. In the rare moments over the past few years where the Warriors have looked vulnerable, it has been because they have been too sloppy. A perfect balance of execution and improvisation might not be possible, but they must keep working toward it. Their challengers have largely improved defensively and will be looking to exploit every one of their mistakes.
In the big picture, it remains important for Golden State to develop its young players. If it is to become a true dynasty, it will have to limit the damage that gets done when veterans Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Zaza Pachulia and David West eventually age themselves out of the rotation or off of the roster. While all of them should be significant contributors this season, there will be eyes on Patrick McCaw, Jordan Bell, Damian Jones and Kevon Looney. McCaw already has Finals experience and will surely get a chance to show how he has grown since the end of his rookie season, but the others will be vying for scraps of playing time behind Pachulia, West and JaVale McGee. If any of them proves to be reliable, the front office will be able to boast about yet another success story.
Everybody knows the Warriors are one of the best teams ever assembled. Not winning the championship would inspire ridicule; not making it to the Finals would be a catastrophe. Having such a clear goal can be clarifying, and it gives Kerr the luxury of limiting players' minutes in the regular season without regard for losing a game here or there. It's interesting, though, to wonder what they'll do if they wind up within striking distance of history once again. Last season, after they had won 73 games and come up short in the Finals, everybody around the Warriors said they wouldn't bother with that type of thing ever again. If they just happen to play well enough that 74 becomes a story, though, it would be a reflection of the good habits and steadiness that Kerr wants to see. At that point, maybe the chase would be precisely the motivation they need.
Need, however, is a funny word here. Golden State is capable of winning its third title in four years without breaking any records and without getting any better at taking care of the ball. It can go down as thoroughly dominant even if it deals with injuries or regular-season boredom or even some surprising locker-room drama. If the Warriors have their ideal season, though, they will inspire serious conversation about their place among the greatest teams of all-time.
High bar? Sure, but setting it any lower would be doing them a disservice.
