Warriors fans hoping to catch Stephen Curry in action this season might want to check the schedule before booking their tickets. Golden State has several veterans to manage, and that could mean some familiar faces sitting out games during the regular season. With the team still working toward its best form, Steve Kerr has a message for fans who expect to see the stars every time they turn up at the arena.
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Speaking to reporters at the practice on Thursday, ahead of the preseason finale against the Trail Blazers, Kerr urged fans to check the schedule before committing to a game. “We’ll start trying to map out, week by week, what’s what,” he told the reporters.
“But to be really frank, every year we run into this (situation) where, if we have a bunch of games stacked together, back-to-backs, we have fans that buy tickets expecting to see Steph, usually Steph, sometimes other players, people expecting to see vets, and then we have a back-to-back, and we don’t play ’em.”
The warning lands in a market where Stephen Curry’s presence carries unusual weight.
“So, I would just come out and tell the fans out there to be mindful when you’re buying the tickets of the schedule. Take a look. Because we’ve got not just Steph but multiple vets we are going to try and manage, because it’s the only way we can do this.”
A report recently valued the Warriors at $14.5 billion, the highest figure among NBA franchises. And the team’s star power helps make Warriors games a premium experience at Chase Center and on the road. That demand can make a ticket feel like a chance to see Stephen Curry in person. But a high price doesn’t guarantee that a particular player will be available on a given night.
Especially considering the team’s roster formation.
Stephen Curry’s workload is the clearest example of why the team is taking that approach. The 38-year-old missed 39 games last season, which included a 27-game stretch while dealing with patellofemoral pain syndrome, commonly described as runner’s knee. After that absence, his routine and availability require careful management rather than assuming he will play every night.
Moreover, regarding his condition this offseason, Curry described it as his “new normal.”
The Warriors also have several other veterans to account for. Al Horford is 40, Jimmy Butler is 37, Draymond Green is 36, and Kristaps Porziņģis is 31. Each brings a different set of workload or availability considerations. It leaves Kerr and the staff with more than one player to monitor.
The preseason has already offered a preview. The five veterans combined to miss games throughout the regular season, with rest, Butler’s ACL recovery, and knee management among the reasons. The risks are not identical, but the result is the same for Kerr:
Availability has to be planned, not assumed.
That also complicated the team’s preparation. Steve Kerr has acknowledged that the Warriors are not yet at their desired level and are managing minutes. Meanwhile, the roster builds rhythm presents a difficult trade-off.
The team is working toward a perimeter-oriented, five-out approach that can spread the floor and give the offense more flexibility. In theory, that structure can help the team adjust when a veteran sits. But it doesn’t eliminate the need for consistent lineups or the time teammates need to develop chemistry.
The key question is not simply how often Stephen Curry or another will sit.
It is whether the Warriors can protect their experienced core. And still building the rhythm it needs for a long season. Rest decisions may frustrate fans who have paid to see the stars. But pushing key players through every back-to-back carries its own risk.