Restarting a dynasty is never easy, and the Warriors will face many new challenges next season as they seek to return to greatness after a year of hiatus in the bottom of the NBA.
Among the new set of hurdles for coach Steve Kerr is something you shouldn’t worry about in the past: managing Steph Curry’s workload.
When Curry enters his 32-year season, Kerr knows it will be his staff’s responsibility to make sure his superstar doesn’t overwork during the season, suggesting that the Warriors will implement a version of the Celtics’ “Plan KG” that Boston used for Kevin Garnett’s End of Term.
“Now, (Curry’s) is at the point where he’s been at the peak of his powers for the past few years,” Kerr said on The Athletic’s “Hoops, Adjacent” podcast. “In any case, it’s up to us to try to start managing your minutes. We have always been truly blessed. We have been able to do it thanks to the talent of our team. We have never really run into Steph on the ground.
“We are not as deep as before. It is up to us as a coaching staff to make sure we rest every night, and we are not exhausting it.”
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For the Celtics, that plan meant that Garnett spent five minutes on the court and then five minutes on the bench. They tried to stick to that plan as diligently as possible during the 2011-12 season, but eventually, they needed Garnett to play more down the stretch and in the playoffs.
The Warriors’ plan for Curry is unlikely to be as regulated as Garnett’s in 2012. As Kerr noted, the Warriors are no longer as deep as they once were, so they will place themselves even more on the shoulders of Curry and Klay. Thompson as they attempt to resurrect a dynasty that was toppled by injury and exhaustion in the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors.
After playing just five games last season, Curry is undoubtedly struggling to come back and prove that he and the Warriors are yet to be ruled out. Managing Curry’s minutes will be important in keeping him cool for what the Warriors hope is an extended playoff run, but it’s clear they’ll have to ask him to carry a heavier load to achieve his goals.
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A critical offseason now faces the Warriors. After sinking to the bottom of the NBA, the Warriors will have a draft pick among the top five and a $ 17.2 million trade exception to bolster the roster around Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green.
Returning to the unprecedented level of greatness you once enjoyed is too much to ask of Curry and the Warriors. It doesn’t just absorb the massive blow of losing Kevin Durant and return to that level.
But the Warriors will return to the field rested and healthy in December when next season is expected to start, and they should automatically return to the contending state at the top of a now-loaded Western Conference.
Curry wants to demonstrate that the Warriors dynasty is not over. However, for the Warriors to make it back to the top of the NBA, it’s important for Kerr to make sure the league MVP is not worn out twice by the weight he’s asked to carry.
