After three years of NBA dominance with superstar Kevin Durant, the Golden State Warriors will begin a new era as”underdogs” under coach Steve Kerr.
It is opening night for the Warriors in their new $1.4billion Chase Center in San Francisco against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Injury to Durant and Klay Thompson left the Warriors vulnerable in the playoffs last season and the Toronto Raptors took full advantage to capture their first NBA title.
And they will be without both players again as they start their regular season campaign tonight.
The departure of Durant to the Brooklyn Nets is a huge loss but the addition of D’Angelo Russell softens the blow and means only the Warriors can boast about having four All-Stars on their roster.
And speaking in an interview with Express Sport on the eve of the new season, Warriors president Rick Welts insists the franchise is ready to fight back against the doubters.
“There is a lot of optimism in our locker room,” he said.
“The opening of Chase Centre is a little bit of a metaphor for the season. It is kind of a new beginning but at the same time a lot of familiar parts.
“Our three core players that were there in the 2015 championship – Draymond Green, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson – [are here].
“We were able to come out of the Kevin Durant move with D’Angelo Russell, another All-Star. There is no other team starting the team with four All-Stars in their roster.
“We like the fact that the whole world doesn’t just assume the Warriors are going to win the championship. That kind of media scrutiny has taken a toll over the last five years on the organisation because of the non-stop coverage of everything to do with the Warriors by such a much larger media contingent than we have ever had before.
“Now we are more considered underdogs again which I think we are more comfortable with. That’s kind of the personalities on our team are suited to that role than the runaway favourites.
“I think there is a quiet confidence that before this is over this year the Warriors can be a factor in how it all turns out.”
Against the Clippers, all eyes will be on Curry, who is being tipped by many to have an MVP calibre season and Welts is in no doubt about the importance of the 31-year-old.
“[He means] everything,” Welts said.
“There’s nowhere we go that somebody doesn’t ask ‘is Steph Curry as nice a guy as he seems?’ And the answer is ‘no. He’s actually nicer than that in every aspect of his life.
“To have that be the face of your franchise is an unbelievable privilege because he is the most genuine, talented athlete on the face of the earth.
“And his presence makes the world better and the organisation better. I don’t think there are enough words to say what his influence has been on the Warriors.”