SAN FRANCISCO — The greatest consolation in an NBA training camp doesn’t depend on how many shots are made or blocked or which team wins the scrimmage. It is harmony.
The Warriors are six practices deep in camp and feel great compatibility. Veterans and youth express a sense of togetherness that promotes growth, which in turn strengthens faith.
“It was good,” Moses Moody said Tuesday. “The energy was electric. There was a lot of fun. Guys communicate. Being together before the start of training camp put us on the right path.”
Praise the team’s collective intellect. General manager Mike Dunleavy solved that problem last summer by signing veterans Chris Paul, Dario Sarić and Cory Joseph. And by recruiting basketball-experienced colleagues Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
Jordan Poole was traded to the Wizards for Paul after three seasons with Golden State. Poole was alternately brilliant and frustrating, sticking to his own show at times even at the expense of his teammates. This tendency always creates a path to disharmony.
Traveling to Washington with Poole were Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Ryan Rollins, both of whom were rookies last season. The Warriors essentially traded three of the remaining five players from their 2019-2022 drafts.
The team grew older and wiser. Suddenly the exercises are easier, the conversations are smoother, and the man-to-man discussions are more likely to lead to a satisfactory solution.
“This feels like a really highly intelligent team,” coach Steve Kerr said. “And they show that early on.”
Adding Paul, Sarić and Joseph to the core of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney gives Golden State eight players – seven in the rotation – with at least seven years of NBA experience.
Additionally, there is a level of stability that comes with having a roster of players who have competed in the league and approach the game in a similar manner. The Warriors under Kerr emphasize ball movement, a system that fits the skills and mentality of the new veterans. Poole’s electrifying moments were often risky and tended to emphasize individual spectacle. Paul, Sarić and Joseph are low-risk players who usually link up teammates.
Teamwork is key at this camp. It’s easier for everyone to feel happy when everyone is recognized and included. That has been the prevailing mood since the first camp training on October 3rd.
“It was great,” Kuminga said. “It was a tough training camp, but that’s good for us. We don’t just get in shape. We’re getting better. The goal is for everyone to be ready, know what everyone is doing on the floor and then go on the floor as a team and win it all.”
One of the first concerns after taking over for Paul was his relationship with Green. As opponents, there was visible contempt between two testy men. As teammates, they are two veterans with similar mindsets.
The team is confident that they will find a place on the floor that will satisfy both and ultimately benefit the team greatly.
“There’s really good chemistry in their relationship,” Kerr said. “They spent a lot of time together over the summer, both in LA and up here, playing pickup. These guys really got along well.
“This will be a case of two incredibly smart players learning how to play together. They occupy a similar portion of the ground. When it comes to the pick-and-roll, Draymond has to dive. The good thing is that Draymond already understands this. I don’t even have to tell him.”
That’s the thing about team-first, high-IQ players. They figure it out among themselves. A coach rarely has to intervene or even mediate.
We don’t know how well the Warriors will play when games begin. Neither do they. What they know two weeks before the premiere is that the collective attitude was positive, which is essential to anything good.
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