Outside of Steph, Warriors’ NBA All-Star future looks foggy

Outside of Steph, Warriors’ NBA All-Star future looks foggy originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Not long before they became the biggest bully in the NBA, the Warriors sustained one of the league’s most ignominious streaks, one that extended even beyond their humiliating 13-year playoff drought.

Golden State went a league-record 15 years without an All-Star. No starter, no reserve, no representation in the game.

When the Warriors finally busted that slump, they did so with vengeance. Since David Lee’s streak-snapping selection in 2013 – their first since Latrell Sprewell in 1997 – only once, in the lost season of 2019-20, have they been shut out of the February extravaganza.

A glance at the current roster makes it conceivable there could be more shutouts once Stephen Curry leaves the room.

The 2025 All-Star game will be played at Chase Center next Feb. 16 and the only Warrior assured of participating is, health permitting, Curry. He was the team’s only representative in each of the last two seasons. The days of the Warriors dominating the All-Star roster, with multiple players in five consecutive games – twice sending four players – are over.

Curry, a 10-time All-Star turns 37 next season. Draymond Green, a four-time All-Star, turns 35. Andrew Wiggins, a one-time All-Star, turns 30. No one else on the roster has played a second in the game.

Which brings us to the four players that, for now, project to lead the Warriors at the end of this decade: Trayce-Jackson Davis, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski.

Here is a look at where each stands a few days before 2024 training camp:

Jackson-Davis

At 24, he’s the eldest of the four. The 6-foot-9 center, a four-year starter at Indiana University, brings solid rim protection, adequate rebounding, and the ability to make smart and even clever passes out of the post. He’s a sound defender, in general, but his switching ability on the perimeter needs development. The 2023 second-round draft pick (No. 57) is an inviting lob threat but must work on his scoring outside the paint.

All-Star chances: 15 percent. This could rise if the Warriors are a legit contender. The West is deep. Vets include Nikola Jokić, Anthony Davis, Domantas Sabonis and Karl-Anthony Towns. And 20-year-old Victor Wembanyama projects as a future MVP.

Kuminga

The 6-foot-7 forward, the No. 7 pick in the 2021 draft, has spectacular moments that become highlight material. He’s not built to be a power forward, so he’ll need to settle in and become a small forward. His tools for that position are a work in progress. It’s discouraging that he has yet to escape wild inconsistencies that at times paint him as a project. It’s encouraging that he is only 21, years away from what his peak should be.

All-Star chances: 55 percent. He took a generous leap last season and needs another next season. Add another 15 percent if that comes to fruition. At his age, there is plenty of time to get there.

Moody

Sporadic playing time has made the No. 14 pick in the ‘21 draft perhaps the biggest mystery on the team. The 6-foot-6 wing from the University of Arkansas does a little of everything, most of it well, but doesn’t wow the populace. His comprehensive skills seem suited to thrive within a team framework, like fellow Razorback Daniel Gafford, rather than as a max-level star. Such players are necessary to succeed, but rarely lend themselves to All-Star debate.

All-Star chances: 10 percent. We’ve only seen snapshots of Moody, who at age 22 has yet to establish himself as part of Golden State’s rotation. Once he accomplishes that – or gets playing time on another team – it will be easier to evaluate his upside.

Podziemski

The 6-foot-5 guard out of Santa Clara University made himself valuable as a rookie by setting screens, making slick passes, getting a few buckets, drawing a lot of charges and running floor like a jackrabbit. He’s too impetuous at times, but making good things happen earned him a spot in the rotation. Only 21, he’ll need to fix his free-throw shooting (63.3 percent) and become a more prolific 3-point shooter.

All-Star chances: 40 percent: The West is loaded with talented young guards. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, De’Aaron Fox, Jalen Green and Austin Reeves to name six. But if the Warriors become a perennial contender, BP has a chance to follow the blueprint created by Manu Ginobili in San Antonio.

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