Golden State Warriors training camp opened in Downtown Oakland Tuesday morning with, what is safe to say, a significant boost in media coverage from the same time last year.
It tends to happen when a historically atrocious team breaks a 40-year championship drought.
For a club as entertaining as the Warriors were in June - Golden State was anything but dull, steamrolling through Western Conference playoff opponents before stymieing the LeBron James-led Cavs in six NBA Finals games - their offseason has lacked the same flavor, and they wouldn't have it any other way.
Cleveland and Tristan Thompson remain in a three-month-long stalemate over his worth. Chicago's glass house of a superstar Derrick Rose fractured a left orbital socket, on the first day of training camp no less, which will keep him out for at least two weeks, and the Oklahoma City Thunder - arguably Golden State's biggest conference threat - is dealing with rumors of franchise cornerstone Kevin Durant jumping ship for Hollywood.
Save head coach Steve Kerr's leave of absence while he recovers from back surgery, concerns this side of the Bay Bridge aren't detrimental. All they may be worried about is getting forward Draymond Green to munch on some of the fruits he's been throwing around.
General Manager Bob Myers' prerogative this summer was re-signing Green, and he did, rewarding the restricted free agent with a five-year, $85 million deal that pays him more than Stephen Curry. The Warriors' problem is that Green intentionally showed up to camp out of shape. Working out, Green told reporters on Tuesday, wasn't a priority in the offseason.
Green's reasoning lies with the wear and tear a full NBA season has on his body. "If I was in tip-top shape now, my body probably wouldn't hold up through the end of next June," Green said.
According to SFGate's Rusty Simmons, the Warriors agree.
Kerr planned on foregoing two-a-day practices since their title run didn't leave much time for summer fun, though is seems like everyone aside from Green came ready for a repeat Finals run.
"I think Andre (Iguodala) has been phenomenal. He's always been a great player, but I think he's so in tune with what we're trying to accomplish and he's so smart. He played really well," Kerr said in a post-practice interview Wednesday. "(Andrew) Bogut looks good. Ian Clark has played well for a couple of days in a row. Klay (Thompson) has been fantastic. We've had a lot of guys who have played well."
The Warriors have one open roster spot; that's about as uncertainties as it gets for the Dubs. Even that role may be filled, as former Magic shooter Ben Gordon was invited to camp on a tryout basis.
If there's been a surprise at Golden State's practice facility this week, it's that Curry proved he doesn't need a Fisher-Price hoop to throw down a dunk.
At practice earlier this week, the 6-foot-3-inch point guard hung on the rim after going up for a standard two-handed dunk. Curry waited for the ball to bounce back up and dunked it again.
This may not be impressive to some - he is an NBA MVP, after all - but it's a symbol of Golden State's carefree demeanor this fall. Or maybe it represent confidence. Maybe it's the fact that odds makers aren't pressuring them to repeat; many expecting San Antonio and Cleveland, respectively, to dethrone the champs.
Either way, the Warriors' roster mirrors last June's, and that may be enough to garner the same amount of media attention next October.
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