SAN FRANCISCO — Three months and a summer of off-the-court commitments removed from the way last season ended, there’s still a sour taste in Steph Curry’s mouth.
The strained hamstring that forced him to watch from the bench as they were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves is fully healed as Curry enters his 17th NBA season. Still, he wonders what could have been.
“I don’t think I’m over that disappointment,” Curry said Monday at the Warriors’ media day, which was otherwise dominated by the uncertainty surrounding Jonathan Kuminga and the rest of their roster. “You always wonder, what if, like had I not gotten hurt, had we won one more game in that second round and give me a chance to come back, had we not been chasing the last two months. As a player, you always think about that type of stuff. It motivates you to understand what you can do this year to put yourself in a better position.”
The Warriors looked like a championship contender after swinging the big trade for Jimmy Butler last February, going 23-7 to close the regular season, but their sprint to the finish caught up to the veteran squad in the playoffs.
Entering their first full season with Butler in the building, the Warriors must strike a delicate balance.
On the one hand, they understand the importance of securing their seeding in the regular season. But they also must make it to the finish line in one piece with a core consisting of Curry, 37; Butler, 36; and 34-year-old Draymond Green, who brought some levity in the form of oversized novelty glasses that spelled out the word “BOOM.”
“We were playing playoff basketball for three and a half months, and that’s tough to do,” Green said. “I think it definitely caught up to us at the end. But I worry very little about an 82-game season because it gives us an opportunity to now have our team set and go about the season the right way.”
In between his globetrotting and operating his burgeoning coffee business, Butler got a head start on the team bonding that usually occurs in training camp by inviting the roster — those under contract, at least — to his Southern California mansion.
“We got some work in but it’s all about being around one another,” Butler said of the impromptu minicamp, which included a scrimmage but had more to do with off-the-court camaraderie.
Fine wine helps, too. A lot of it.
“He has the wine cellar of an emperor,” admired Green, who might have swiped a bottle or two.
“He definitely grabbed some bottles,” Butler said. “They were pricey. Me no likey.”
One notable absence from the get-together was Kuminga, who was also absent from media day as his contract situation remains unresolved. Other players still on their rookie deals marveled at the extravagance.
“Pretty impressive,” second-year center Quinten Post said. “That’s some years in the NBA for you.”
A few Warriors tiptoed around the Kuminga in the room, but Green and Curry were adamant that when he does either sign an extension or his qualifying offer — the deadline is Wednesday — that the offseason situation won’t cloud their championship aspirations.
Experiences like their time at Butler’s should help.
“It’s all about having some fun and knowing this is a long year ahead. It’s not going to be all good but it’s damn sure not going to be all bad,” said Butler, who had never before opened his house to teammates. “So when you look back, you go look, we’re still in this thing together, even whenever we’re drinking wine in San Diego and lounging by the pool, just know that everybody is in this thing together. That’s what that was.”
Butler’s messy exits from his previous teams have left him with a certain reputation, but Trayce Jackson-Davis compared him to Green.
“I think he gets kind of that Draymond persona where if you’re not on his team, you really don’t know, it’s kind of murky,” the third-year center said. “But once he’s in your locker room, he’s connected and he’s doing what he does. He’s a great person to be around and he’s a great teammate.”
In Year 2 with Butler, Green believes the Warriors have the potential to be even better than they were down the stretch last year. Not only is the group fully healthy, they will also have a full training camp and slate of preseason games to experiment.
“Last year we were just kind of making it work, doing whatever we could do to make it work. This year you get a chance to see what’s best,” he said. “I just think that will take us much, much further than just finding one thing that works, and all right, we just going to do this.”
Most importantly, they have Curry, who is not only motivated from the way last season ended but also freshly rested following a summer without commitments to Team USA in Paris. Entering his age-37 season, Curry’s preparation for the season has evolved to include more off-the-court work than on.
In that case, it would be prudent to expedite filling out their roster. Also not present for media day were Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton and Seth Curry, who have come to widely reported agreements but have not finalized their contracts because Kuminga’s situation remains unresolved. Agreements with Gary Payton II and a handful of rookies were announced minutes before they took the podium.
“It would be a distraction if we don’t have as many guys and we’ll be tired as hell going through practice,” Green said of the outstanding situation with Kuminga. “That will be a distraction and that will suck because usually as a vet, you can slide to the back and go slide to the back and let them get a couple more reps. You don’t get that privilege. That will suck.”
Ultimately, Jackson-Davis summed it up best.
“At the end of the day,” he said, “it’s still Steph Curry’s team.”
Notable
— Brandin Podziemski provided the tersest answers of any Warriors player but did confirm he had returned to the court following two offseason surgeries on his wrist and abdomen. The third-year guard acknowledged that the ailments impact his shooting in the postseason but said he was fully cleared on Aug. 1.
— Post also confirmed that he played through ankle issues for about the final 10 games of last season. Upon further examination, the Warriors’ medical staff recommended against playing in Summer League, but he is back on the court now.
— Jackson-Davis said he ended last season at about 265 pounds. He’s down to 245-250 from offseason conditioning.
— Podziemski, a Valkyries superfan, and Curry, who also attended a game of the new WNBA franchise, agreed: “Louder than our games,” said Podziemski, who added that he owns jerseys of all 19 players who made an appearance in the team’s inaugural season.
— Butler’s alter ego, “Emo Jimmy,” didn’t make an appearance, nor did any other creative hairstyles he has become known for on past media days. He did find time to plug his Big Face coffee brand, which he said will have a presence in the Bay Area “in a major way.” After a month-long pop-up in San Francisco’s Mission District, Butler said he hopes to have a permanent location up and running by February or March.