Warriors Enter Preseason With Veteran Core and Lengthy Injury List

Golden State opens its exhibition schedule Sunday against the Clippers boasting a decorated roster while Butler, Moody and Porzingis sit out injured.

The Golden State Warriors open a six-game preseason slate Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers, bringing plenty of pedigree and a lengthy injury list into the exhibition calendar. Golden State finished 37-45 last season and advanced to the play-in tournament; the games that count begin Oct. 21.

Experience is not in short supply. Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford — the club's headliners — combine for 28 All-Star Game selections and average 15.2 years of NBA service. Curry and Green have won four championships with the franchise and are working at camp in the Cannon Activities Center in Laie, where Curry said the priority is building chemistry and structure, which he believes will generate better shots, cut down turnovers and let creativity grow out of cohesion.

Availability is the problem. Butler tore an ACL and Moses Moody tore a patella tendon, leaving both out indefinitely. Porzingis is also sidelined, and coach Steve Kerr described the 7-3 forward/center as dealing with a private health matter, adding that the organization will back him fully and that he will return whenever he is ready.

Curry, the NBA's all-time leader with 4,248 made 3-pointers, appears back in form after a bone bruise in his right knee cost him 27 consecutive games late last season. During Tuesday's practice he connected on roughly 30 straight rapid 3-pointers from the right baseline. He explained that the knee trouble arrived without warning a year ago and was already difficult to manage by the time it appeared, which stretched out his recovery. His offseason featured underwater treadmill conditioning to protect his joints, and he now follows a less-is-more philosophy — adjusting how much pounding his body takes rather than easing up on effort.

For Sunday's opener, Kerr plans to start Curry alongside Brandin Podziemski, Green, Horford and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. The coach pointed to the size of that frontcourt, the playmaking of Curry and Green, and Horford's spacing, noting that all three frontcourt players can both shoot from distance and create for others.

Kerr, beginning his 13th season in charge, has spent camp pushing a 5-out offense that stations all five players beyond the arc to empty the paint and open driving lanes. He views it as part of the sport's evolution and said effective ideas spread quickly around the league, with teams installing them using varied personnel. His focus is keeping every spot interchangeable so players have options no matter where they line up.

Lendeborg, the No. 11 overall pick out of Michigan, is a 6-9 forward Golden State would welcome production from. He said his aims are to break into the rotation, log meaningful minutes and become someone the team can rely on, and that Green has urged him to assert himself and trust his ability. He acknowledged the jump to the NBA has moved him to tears more than once — his mother is visiting, and he cried a little upon reaching his hotel after arriving.

The venue holds a bittersweet memory for Curry. In the 2024 preseason meeting with the Clippers at the Stan Sheriff Center, he managed nine points on 0-for-4 shooting from deep in a 91-90 Golden State win while playing only the first half, and he said he hopes to connect on at least one this time in front of a different and welcoming fan base.

Golden State's next game is Sunday, October 4, when the Warriors face the LA Clippers at 7:00 PM EDT at the Stan Sheriff Center.