If, according to the adage, we don't change a team that wins, on the other hand, we always try to change a team that doesn't win or no longer wins. This is the observation made by Stephen Curry, three weeks before the start of a new regular season and while the last one ended in April.
“We took a slap in the face and we didn’t make the playoffs. This is the main message to take away. We need to remember that”, explain the playmaker during the Warriors' comeback. “We have a way of doing things, in terms of approaching training and matches. But, as soon as we talk about systems, about style, we have to be open to evolution, to changes and to discovery, especially when the league continues to evolve. »
The Warriors' offense, for ten years, is well known. Magnified by the talent of Stephen Curry, it is composed of movements, space, rhythm. However, over the seasons, it has lost lethality.
“We had a unique style for ten years, based on the off-ball movement of Curry and Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green's unique ability to be a playmaker. We had special players, so our style was special too. »Steve Kerr conceded last April.
“We have to find the balance between maintaining our identity and simplifying things”
For Golden State, the change is now. “The good news is that I arrive at training camp with an open mindset about our style,” specifies the 2024 Olympic champion. “I know that there is a “Warrior mentality”, a culture, a system that we have been using for ten years. […] But we must keep an open mind and accept the strengths and weaknesses of our team. »
The coach was talking about “special players” in California and Klay Thompson is no longer there. The Warriors will therefore, by force of circumstances, have to reinvent themselves.
“We must not abandon our values”, announces Steve Kerr. “We believe in the movement of the ball. When we play the Warriors, we know that the ball is moving and that won't change. But we have to adapt to our group. I can better simplify actions and not give players too many options. We have to find the balance between maintaining our identity and simplifying things, so that it is clearer. »
This is partly the mission of Terry Stotts, Steve Kerr's new assistant. Defining a balance is often a matter of time and the 2022 champions will surely skate for a few weeks. “We’ll find it. We will experiment with different rotations during training camp, preseason and perhaps the first matches of the regular season”warns Stephen Curry.
