The first week of the 2025-26 NBA season saw a few teams leaping into the action, all guns blazing. Leading them are the Golden State Warriors, who have made a strong impression, going 4-2 to start the year. The Warriors entered the season with the oldest starting five in the NBA but despite concerns regarding their core’s age, Kevin Garnett believed all along they would be able to hit the ground running.
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After the Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline last season, optimism began rising among fans who had seen the team play ‘who blinks first’ with Jonathan Kuminga during the entirety of the off season. But the news of a season led by veterans like Butler and Curry made the fans believe.
That said, a hot start doesn’t mean the Warriors are now championship favorites, as former NBA champion Paul Pierce was right to point out.
“It’s a little surprising,” Pierce said on Ticket & The Truth. “I just worry about depth and injuries with them. Being that they’re an older team, I’m just not so sure because they don’t really have the young athletes that you kind of need to compete with OKC, Denver, and Minnesota.”
It isn’t a secret that an injury to Curry, Butler, Draymond Green or Al Horford, could put the Warriors’ season might be in jeopardy. Nonetheless, it’s hard to ignore the production which they are putting forth on the floor game in and game out. Pierce might not be convinced, but Kevin Garnett certainly is.
“I’m not shocked. They know how to win,” Garnett proclaimed. “If you’re not in shape to guard them, they’re going to run you out of there.”
The Warriors have a reputation for their high octane offense, which they continue to live up to despite their starting lineup’s age. Golden State doesn’t run nearly as much since they rank 19th in pace. However, they hold the 11th-best offense in the entire league, and a lot of it has to do with the experience they have in winning championships.
“I can’t count out Steph and Jimmy,” Pierce declared. The Golden State squad may be old, but they also have some youth on their roster. These young pieces give enough diversity for Garnett to remain firm in his thoughts on the team.
“They’ve got enough young guys that have been developed to play in this league. Like Moody, Kuminga, Podziemski,” Garnett said.
Of course, the job is far from over. Plenty of teams have jumped to hot starts and were unable to sustain that level of success. The Western Conference will be a bloodbath this year, which requires 82 games of consistent play, not six.
