Kurtenbach: There’s no ambiguity about the 2025-26 Warriors — it’s Steve Kerr’s way or nothing

When Pat Spencer presented up at Warriors media day last week it was a legitimate and pleasant surprise Amid the chaos of the Warriors offseason and given his solid playoff performance last season it was presumed that Spencer had signed to play elsewhere It was no surprise however when Spencer after playing a team-high minutes in the preseason opening win over the Lakers Sunday night was sent to the dais in Chase Center for a post-game press conference Spencer s presence on the roster speaks to the unit s enviable depth This is a organization with players that coach Steve Kerr should feel relaxed playing for at least a quarter every single night This time last year I would have reported we need to get better I don t feel that right now Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy declared last Wednesday And he shouldn t This unit has a chance to be really really good Related Articles Urgent down Jonathan Kuminga s distinctive and effective Warriors preseason debut Instant Warriors analysis Al Horford s versatility on display vs Lakers Jimmy Butler Warriors dealing with injuries to start preseason Warriors rejoice as NBA emphasizes Hi-Five fouls It ll help Steph Steve Kerr unveils Warriors preseason plan for Steph Curry veterans Now the Dubs will absolutely need all of those bodies heading into an -game grinder because the presumed closing core of Steph Curry Jimmy Butler Draymond Green and Al Horford is ancient an average age of nearly with a staggering combined seasons under the hood There will be nights where the Warriors have to lean on Jonathan Kuminga to be the crew s offensive engine Nights starting in November due to cap issues where Seth Curry has to keep the lights on Nights where Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski are the fulcrums Nights where you say What would these guys do without Quinten Post And there will be a sparse nights where a two-way guy like Spencer is inquired to be the man It won t unfailingly go well In fact the Warriors might lose more of those games than they win But their depth will steal chosen victories and that could prove massive in a Western Conference that is likely to be jumbled from spots to once again Think the difference between the play-in tournament and a top-six seed home-court advantage or starting a series on the road In a league where top-end talent drives success and failure depth still plays a vital role Specifically we re talking about depth that knows its role The Warriors have the top-end talent They might also be triggered by Taco Bell s throwback Y K menu and can argue the merits of both the Motorola Razr flip phone and AIM but there s no questioning that the Dubs Uncs still got it So how does the depth bolster them How can they pick them up when their backs knees and necks or all of the above hurt It s not by adding another timeline It s about embracing this one With all due respect to Moody Podziemski and the Gui EnerGui Santos Spencer might be the perfect avatar for what the Dubs need this season It s the reason he came back It s the reason the Warriors wished him back Purely put He s a pro He s a basketball participant not just a hooper Give him a job and he ll do the job there s no alternative agenda at play Spencer is someone who understands that it takes more than just the ability to touch the back of the backboard to make it in this league even if Spencer is just barely hanging on to such a spot I think we value all the same things on a personal level but just as much so on the court Spencer noted Sunday I think if you re a guy who can connect specific of those dots and also do a few of the other things like knock the three ball down there s unfailingly going to be a place for you in this league Unfortunately there are a lot of organizations stuck at the bottom that continue to value length and athleticism and youth over IQ and they tend to stay in the lottery every year The Warriors tried that length-and-athleticism plan That s over The last vestige of it has until February th at noon the NBA s commerce deadline to adapt to this resolute path or find a new place to ply his deal The Warriors every Warrior are playing grown-man basketball now Professional basketball if you will What a concept for the NBA The kind of basketball that keeps you controlling the court at the Y on a Saturday morning There s no room for ego or id here this is an extremely well-paying job that only asks you to read-and-react Related Articles Emerging down Jonathan Kuminga s distinctive and effective Warriors preseason debut Instant Warriors analysis Al Horford s versatility on display vs Lakers Jimmy Butler Warriors dealing with injuries to start preseason Warriors rejoice as NBA emphasizes Hi-Five fouls It ll help Steph Steve Kerr unveils Warriors preseason plan for Steph Curry veterans Basketball IQ is the name of the contest in San Francisco It has constantly been but no exceptions will be made this season The Warriors are planning to put out a association that Kerr has dependably sought and at times over the last decade even had another revival of a millennial classic the mid-aughts Spurs Perhaps it will all flop like a Microsoft Zune Maybe this new exceptionally old core four are in fact over the hill Perhaps building the entire organization around tried-and-true veterans will just leave them tired and blue But for the first time since the pandemic there s no ambiguity about the Warriors coming into the season Everyone knows what this crew is about and how they fit into the larger picture Kerr s contract expires at the end of the season Do you really think that s just an administrative oversight from the man whose coaching mentors Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich were Machiavellian to the core Of curriculum not I don t know if Kerr is staying or going He might not even know either But if this is indeed his final ride he s going to go out on his terms And the Warriors might just reach a new level in the process