Stephen Curry Still Has Gas in the Tank, but the Warriors Are Running on Fumes

*Statistics cited in this article do not include the Golden State Warriors 108-96 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Fri. 1/10. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green did not play in that contest.

Growing up aspiring to pursue a career in sports journalism—whether as a beat writer, analyst, or play-by-play commentator—I’ve always tried to remain unbiased in how I consume sports. Over the years, whether blogging, as a site contributor, or hosting my podcast about the NBA, I’ve made it a point to maintain that objectivity. Yes, I have favorite teams. And yes, I cheer for them when they play, revel in their successes, and mourn their defeats. But when it comes to evaluation, comparison, and discourse, I pride myself on setting my biases aside to deliver fair analysis.

Stephen Curry, and to an extent the Golden State Warriors as a whole, are where I’ve struggled most to remain impartial. At almost 33 years old, I’ve played, coached, studied, and consumed basketball for over 25 years, but for much of my early years, I never had a team to call my own. I gravitated toward players instead. First, it was Grant Hill (and Michael Jordan, of course). Then came the Shaq and Kobe duo, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, and Tracy McGrady. When I reached middle school in 2003, as the quintessential white shooter on my school and AAU teams, J.J. Redick became my idol. But he played for the Duke Blue Devils, not an NBA franchise. Then, in 2008, a skinny, baby-faced sophomore from Davidson University lit the world on fire, leading his team to an improbable Elite Eight run in March Madness. For me, everything changed.

At the conclusion of that tournament, I vowed that whatever NBA team drafted Stephen Curry would be the one I called mine. One year later, the Golden State Warriors selected Curry 7th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft, and for the first time in my 17 years, I had a favorite NBA team. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine the following 15 years would feature six trips to the NBA Finals, four NBA Championships, a 73-win season, two Stephen Curry MVPs, countless mind-blowing shots, and a lifetime of joyful memories. Call me a bandwagon fan; I don’t care. I’ve endured 23, 26, and 15-win seasons (yes, longtime Dubs fans have had it worse), the Monta Ellis days, the Don Nelson debacle, and ankle injuries that threatened Curry’s career before it truly began.

I say all this because, as much as I want to treat this team like any other aging squad drifting into mediocrity—to objectively tell you they should consider trading Curry and Draymond Green and start over—I can’t. Not entirely. I can remain objective enough to tell you that, barring a minor miracle, this team is done competing for championships. But I won’t deny that admitting it makes me sad. Looking back at the last 16 years of my life and how significant a role this team and Curry have played, it’s impossible. Still, I’m going to try, and in doing so, figure out where the Warriors go from here.

At 19-18 this season and sitting in 9th in the Western Conference, the Warriors are remarkably average for the second consecutive year. After starting the season 12-3—with wins against the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Dallas Mavericks—they’ve gone 7-15 over their last 22 games. Though they beat the Detroit Pistons Thursday night, 107-104 (in a game where Curry shot 2/14 from three and was -14 for the game. Basketball is weird), they blew a 17-point third-quarter lead before clawing out a victory. This came after back-to-back losses, including one to the Miami Heat on Monday—a team missing Jimmy Butler and playing the second night of a back-to-back.

The Warriors’ future is one of the murkiest situations in the NBA. Jonathan Kuminga, Brandon Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Moses Moody are, by all accounts, the “young building blocks” of the team. While they’re fine young players, Kuminga has the highest ceiling but remains more potential than production in his fourth year. Despite flashes of improvement, he hasn’t consistently demonstrated the ability to lead a team when Curry is out. Podziemski, a good but limited player, seems best suited as a third guard, Jackson-Davis is a big who can’t finish at or protect the rim, and Moody, who fits the Warriors’ system best, has never received consistent minutes and likely won’t be more than a seventh or eighth man.

With no clear heir apparent, a lack of future assets, and no urgency to make bold moves, why not go all-in before Curry and Green retire? The Warriors are likely to struggle when they do, regardless.

At nearly 37 years old (Curry’s birthday is March 14), Curry is no longer in his prime. His points per game are down (22.8 PPG from 26.4 PPG last season), and his diminished burst and quickness have sapped his finishing ability around the basket. He’s shooting 61% within four feet of the rim, down from 64% last year and far below the 73% he posted in 2023. Still, in many ways, Curry remains Stephen Curry. A career 42.5% three-point shooter, he’s hitting 41.1% this season on 10.6 attempts per game (even accounting for Thursday’s 2/14 performance). Of the 11 players with 300+ three-point attempts this season, Curry ranks third in percentage.

Defensively, teams continue to throw the kitchen sink at him—face-guarding him the full length of the court, assigning help defenders when he’s three or four passes off the ball, and trapping him in pick-and-rolls. Despite this, Curry’s presence remains a difference-maker. The Warriors outscore opponents by 5.8 points when he’s on the floor, a top-10 figure in the league. When he sits, they’re outscored by 3.7 points. Overall, the Warriors have a 0.8 net rating, ranking 20th in offensive rating (bottom three without Curry) and 8th in defensive rating, thanks largely to Green’s brilliance.

The Warriors’ offensive issues are glaring. They’re 19th in field goal percentage at the rim and 26th in rim attempt frequency, meaning they struggle to get to the basket and convert those attempts. Non-Curry lineups are shooting 33.6% from three, which would rank second to last in the league. Add in their poor free-throw rate and percentage, and it’s miraculous they’re not worse offensively. Defensively, they’re solid but vulnerable to size and explosive guards. As the league’s fourth-oldest team, their young players lack All-NBA or All-Star potential.

The Warriors lack tradable contracts to bring in another star, and even if they did, the front office seems reluctant to make dramatic moves as if haunted by the ghosts of Kelly Oubre and James Wiseman. Joe Lacob, one of the wealthiest owners in the league, appears more interested in avoiding luxury taxes than building a contender, while exerting an alarming level of influence over personnel decisions.

As much as it pains me, it’s unlikely we’ll see Curry, Green, and company make another title push. Could Curry don a new jersey in 2027 when his current contract expires? It seems insane, but it’s not completely inconceivable. At 38, Curry could still have enough in the tank to compete elsewhere. Alternatively, he may choose to finish his career like Kobe Bryant or Dirk Nowitzki, fading into obscurity as the team rebuilds.

What I do know is this: Stephen Curry is still brilliant, as evidenced by recent performances like his Christmas Day showing against the Lakers, an 8/8 three-point night against the 76ers, and a 31-point outing against the Heat. I’ll cherish these moments while they last. The team’s shortcomings be damned, we’re witnessing the final chapter of a one-of-one player. I refuse to take that for granted.