The Golden State Warriors finally joined the free agency party on Sunday night, adding veteran point guard Cory Joseph on a one-year, minimum deal—the most lucrative contract they can offer outside free agents.
As Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office continue scraping the bargain bin for help off the bench, let's dive into what Joseph is poised to bring the Dubs in 2023-24.
What Cory Joseph brings to Warriors
Necessary depth and stability
Curry has missed at least 18 games each of the last three seasons, and a broken hand shelved him for basically all of the Warriors' wasted 2019-20. He was sidelined for three weeks in December and January last season due to a left shoulder subluxation, then went down again with ligament damage to his left for another extended period just a month later.
Curry turns 36 next March, making him about two years younger than the Warriors' second point guard. Chris Paul has talked extensively about the sweeping benefits of going vegan in 2019, keeping him fresh over the 82-game grind while better steeling him for rigors of the postseason in the twilight of his playing days.
But the Point God will get more time planned time off in 2023-24 than any of Golden State's future Hall-of-Fame veterans, and his penchant for playoff muscle injuries is entirely predictable by now. There's also a chance Paul isn't even on the roster past next season's trade deadline, moved as expiring salary ballast in a deal that balances out a guard-heavy roster and ups the Dubs' championship hopes.
The Warriors desperately needed experienced depth behind Curry and Paul, basically, a distinction that applies to Joseph as well as anyone on the minimum market. He only makes this team even older, turning 32 in August, and certainly doesn't address its deficiencies in overall athleticism and ability to pressure the rim.
But Joseph has played a full season's worth of playoff games in his 12-year career and ranked top-10 in assist to turnover ratio last year. He can at least keep Golden State's system churning on both sides of the ball when pressed into action.
The vast majority of market-rate minimum signings don't provide much dynamism or upside, and a sense of reliability is all the Warriors really want out of a third point guard anyway. For what Joseph lacks in the former, he easily makes up for with the latter.
Plus on-ball defense
Curry quietly took a step back last season defensively, while Paul's positive utility on that end is no longer at the point of attack. Neither of them will be targeted by ball handlers with the merciless effectiveness opposing teams attacked Jordan Poole in 2022-23, but Golden State's star floor generals will be consistently put to the test defensively next season regardless.
Joseph represents the opposite end of that on-ball spectrum. He's lost a half step in recent years, but remains a plus defender of point guards, with quick feet, active hands and a dogged, tireless approach. Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II and Jonathan Kuminga won't be forced to guard star perimeter ball handlers with Joseph on the floor, freeing them to check the most threatening wing while affording Golden State extra doses of switchability and scheme versatility.
The West is absolutely loaded with game-breaking backcourt playmakers. Having Joseph in the fold, as a primary backup to Curry and Paul or even a situational “stopper,” will make the Dubs' simple goal of limiting them easier to muster than last season, propping up team defense in the process.
Reliable spot-up shooting
Joseph isn't some high-volume marksman, capable of sprinting around screens and splashing off-balance triples. Defenses will happily give him clean pull-up looks from deep in pick-and-roll and dribble hand-off actions. But he shot an elite 44.3% on spot-up threes last season, per NBA.com/stats, letting fly with more confidence than at any other point of his careeer.
Joseph should get plenty of clean looks on the weak side as defenses load to Curry and Klay Thompson. Expect him to blow past last season's personal high water mark of 7.1 three-point attempts per 100 possessions. Though not an explosive or creative finisher at the rim, Joseph has some touch from floater range and is quick to attack overzealous close-outs, regularly making the right play after creating an advantage.
There aren't many roster-worthy point guards in the league with less all-around scoring and playmaking juice than Joseph. He's not a true halfcourt table-setter, offers little in transition and could be dared to prove it from beyond the arc before smart defenses fully rotate to him away from the play.
Golden State's unique offense creates inherent advantages, though, and Joseph has just enough long-range shooting chops and decision-making comfort to exploit them when given the chance.
Follow Us
Subscribe