Former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins doesn’t think the Warriors have done enough to build around Steph Curry for the upcoming season. Golden State failed to make the playoffs last year, losing in the play-in tournament, and finishing 10th in standings. A year ago, the Warriors lost in the conference semis as the defending champions against the LA Lakers.
Perkins thinks Curry has lost the ‘joy’ of playing for the Warriors over the past two years because of their roster-building tactics, centered around running two timelines together: developing young talent and contending for a championship.
“You still have Steph Curry, a guy that wants to win, a guy that every single season, he wants to go out and win a championship,” Perkins said on Wednesday’s NBA Today Show.
“You can see the joy that he played with in the Olympics … Winning the gold medal. It was all over his face, the emotions. We haven’t seen that since they last won the championship. That’s going over two years now.”
You may click on the video below to listen to Perkins’ comments (from 4:30):
Perkins admitted that it’s crucial to build for the future, but it’s also important to prioritize the window with Curry, who is 36 years old entering the next season.
The Warriors lost Klay Thompson in free agency but added Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson, three of the top free-agent prospects this summer.
However, that doesn’t make a significant difference for their title aspirations. Golden State still lacks a legitimate second scoring option next to Steph Curry and depth at the center position.
Steph Curry wants to be in a winning situation
Despite turning 36 and presumably entering the last leg of his illustrious career, Steph Curry remains one of the NBA’s best. He still has the motivation to win titles after winning four in the last decade, most for any player of his caliber. Curry made his thoughts known on his future with the franchise, suggesting he’s not interested in being a part of a ‘bottom feeder.’
“Let’s put it this way, it’s a longwinded way of saying that if it is a situation where you’re a bottom feeder and it’s just because you want to stay there, I’d have a hard time with that,” Curry told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears on July 24. “But I don’t think that’s going to be the reality.”
Curry seems to have faith in the Warriors to turn things around and prioritize their window with him. However, the roster moves in the summer suggest otherwise.
Golden State reportedly missed out on trading for top trade commodity Lauri Markkanen because it refused to part ways with sophomore guard Brandin Podziemski.
Markkanen, 27, may have put the Warriors back on the map as one of the contenders. but Golden State remained adamant on keeping younger talent and developing it for the future.