The Warriors have made several roster changes in an effort to return to championship contention, but have a bigger priority heading into the 2023-24 NBA season.
Golden State has maintained an impressive culture over the past decade or so, but it was a different story last season when Draymond Green punched former Warriors guard Jordan Poole before the season started.
A year later, Warriors coach Steve Kerr is confident that this won’t be an issue in the upcoming season, and the team can get back to rebuilding their once-admired team culture.
“Our culture here over the years has been good because we’ve had players who have made it that way,” Kerr said Friday 95.7 The Game. “Steph [Curry] and Clay [Thompson], we have veteran guys who understand what it’s like. We lost it a bit last year for reasons that are well documented.
“But I feel good about this team and this organization and our ability to succeed at a high level.”
After a disappointing second-round exit from the 2023 playoffs, the Warriors have not been shy about admitting that the preseason dispute between Green and Poole affected the team’s camaraderie over the course of the season.
Green admitted he had something to do with Poole’s recovery to save the relationship, but Golden State traded the 24-year-old to the Washington Wizards this summer in exchange for veteran point guard Chris Paul.
Despite past drama between Paul and the Warriors, Kerr and general manager Mike Dunleavy said last week that Paul has formed a strong bond with his new teammates, praising the “connection ” of the team in the last two months.
The Warriors certainly have the talent to make a championship run, and they hope the vibes this season can support it.
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