The Golden State Warriors have looked amazing at the start of this season. The team has gotten off to a hot start with a 4-1 record, behind only the Thunder and Spurs in the Western Conference. The talk from the Warriors’ veterans has also been a signal of what’s to come: responsibility and passing the torch to the younger players. Recently, Jimmy Butler didn’t celebrate his own stat line after a dominant 98-79 win over the contending LA Clippers; instead, he took the opportunity to talk about something far more enduring.

Butler talked about the growth of players who will outlast him. “Us older guys, I guess, are on our way out of the league,” he said. “But these new young guys, they’ve got potential to be great for a very long time.” This was a declaration of intent for the Warriors, who currently employ some of the oldest players in the league.

Now in his 15th NBA season, Butler has become a pulse for Golden State off the court. He’s also taken on a dual role of vet and teacher; he’s not someone who just talks about the work ethic, but lives it, having risen his way up from being the 30th overall pick in 2011 to being the Most Improved Player in 2015.

“It’s our job to be really good vets to them like we’ve had in the past,” he added. “Set them up for success, give them all the confidence in the world.” For Butler, winning isn’t about the stats, but legacy. “Whatever you’re doing out there, it just needs to add up to winning,” Butler said.

His message has deeply resonated with young Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga. Once viewed as a raw, unpredictable prospect, and doubts about his commitment to the team after a contentious offseason, the 23-year-old finally looks like someone who understands the difference between potential and production. Butler addressed him directly, praising him: “You work on your stuff in the offseason, but when you’re on the floor, are you winning your minutes? I think as of late, [Kuminga’s] been doing it.”

Kuminga has shown a change in focus this season. He seems dialed into the Warriors’ system, making hustle plays and minimizing isolation possessions. His efficiency has also taken a big leap, going from 45.4% last year to 53.7% through Golden State’s five games in 2025-26. He’s also taken a playmaking leap, logging the most assists of his career so far.

If Kuminga’s efficiency holds and Kerr’s matchup juggling pays off, the Warriors could convert this early promise into wins. Simulation models and odds have already nudged the market in Golden State’s direction: preseason championship odds ticked down into more favorable figures once early-season data and rotations settled. Projected-wins models that take current rotations into account show the Warriors in the low-50s over 82 games if the youth development continues on the current path, a meaningful improvement from preseason projections.

His numbers against the Clippers showed the change in mindset. He recorded 9 points, 5 rebounds, and a steal: nothing flashy, but filling in the gaps, doing the dirty work. It’s exactly what Butler meant. The veteran Warriors core is starting to see a familiar development in their young teammates, something that they once went through. And their head coach seems ready to make changes to further empower their youth.

Steve Kerr’s Adjustments Reflect a Shift in the Golden State Warriors’ Culture

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is building around the development of the team’s young core. After the win against the Clippers, the veteran coach revealed that he plans to alternate between sophomore center Quentin Post and third-year guard Brandin Podziemski in the starting lineup depending on their matchup. “I think this is going to be a pattern for us,” Kerr told reporters.

He explained, “I really want to just bring Al off the bench. If he’s going to be 20 minutes, 20 to 25 minutes, I’d rather have him come off the bench and be able to close with him if we need to, like we did against [the Denver Nuggets]. So we’ll probably go back and forth between Quinten and BP for now, just depending on what the center matchup looks like.”

Kerr also had a lot of praise for the two youngsters. He called Podziemski “great,” adding, “I didn’t play him enough in the first half. I think I only got him out there for 9 minutes, and we missed his playmaking. So I’ve got to do a better job of doing what we did in the second half, which was finding lineups that they could play-make a little bit more.”

On Post, he said, “But QP was the story of the game. I mean, fearless out there, hit big shots, played great defense, and couldn’t be happier for him, or for us, getting Quinten late in the second round a year and a half ago. He’s turning into a really good player.”

That trust he has for his young players is starting to ripple through this roster. Combined with Jimmy Butler’s trust, the increase in confidence in their young core is beginning to blur the lines between ‘project’ and ‘veteran.’ For Golden State, this might be the most promising sign, especially for a team looking to win it all not just through experience, but evolution.