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The Golden State Warriors are trying to straddle the line between winning championships and developing their young talent. Rookies Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody have seen inconsistent playing time as Warriors head coach Steve Kerr juggles a deep rotation that will only get deeper once Klay Thompson and James Wiseman return.
Thompson hasn't played in two seasons, but he's a leader on this Warriors team and acting as a mentor for the young guys. He has high expectations for them not only now but down the road when the baton is being passed from the current crop of stars.
Via Sports Illustrated's Howard Beck:
“We’re a championship team,” Thompson says. “So when they do step in and take our minutes, we expect them to have the same success we did, as far as just being a contender year in and year out.”
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The Warriors sharpshooter also has some sage advice:
“Banners are timeless. Records are meant to be broken. Individual statistics are meant to be topped. But banners hang forever. I try to tell these young guys that no one cares what your stats are by the end of season. The goal of the game is to win the game.”
Thompson thinks this all-time great dynasty isn't over yet, and that's because of the faith he has in the young players on the team. In addition to the aforementioned young guys still finding their way, the Warriors are relying on other youngsters in the rotation, including Jordan Poole. And while Andrew Wiggins isn't exactly young at 26 years old, he's much younger than the star veterans and is having the best season of his career.
There still is no guarantee all of these players will indeed stick around for the long haul. There's still the possibility of a trade or even multiple trades down the line as Golden State tries to win another title. But if that doesn't happen, Thompson is fully confident in this group growing together and keeping this train rolling.
