Cauley-Stein impressed by Warriors.
Cauley-Stein excited to finally play with Curry and see where it takes him
The dream played out in Willie Cauley-Stein’s head long before he became disenchanted with the Sacramento Kings. It happened even before the Warriors cemented themselves as a dynasty.
Before the Kings selected Cauley-Stein at No. 6 in the 2015 NBA draft, the University of Kentucky star often wore a Warriors hat and wondered aloud what it would be like to play with Stephen Curry.
Cauley-Stein no longer has need to day dream.
“It’s crazy, it’s actually happening,” CauleyStein said. “Me and my friends talk about it all the time.”
Back in the day, Cauley-Stein would ponder how he and Curry would operate in pick-androlls. Or how opponents would defend him, knowing they could not leave Curry open. Since agreeing to a veteran’s minimum deal with the Warriors last week, Cauley-Stein and his friends have circled back to those conversations. How will opponents defend him knowing they cannot leave Curry open — or Klay Thompson and D’Angelo Russell, too, for that matter.
“How can guys damn-near not guard me now because they have to guard Klay, Steph and D-Lo?” Cauley-Stein said. “How are you going to guard a big? You have to tag. If you don’t tag, then it’s a lob. If you do tag, it’s a 3. So pick your poison.”
It has been a while since Cauley-Stein has been in such a good mood.
Through four seasons in Sacramento, Cauley-Stein averaged 10.1 points on 53.4-percent shooting and 6.4 rebounds. Yet, a closer look at the numbers suggest a different story. Last season, in a month in which he played 30.2 minutes per game, Cauley-Stein averaged 17.4 points and 9.0 rebounds. In another month, in which he played 25.8 minutes over game, he averaged 9.0 points and 5.0 rebounds.
“Numbers don’t lie,” Cauley-Stein said. “It’s pretty cut and dry what the consistency was.”
Cauley-Stein, who turns 26 next month, came into the 2018-19 season saying, “I’m ready to get paid.” That didn’t happen. The Kings declined to give him an extension. After the season, the Kings gave CauleyStein a $6.26 million qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent. Then, Sacramento rescinded the qualifying offer. Ultimately, Cauley-Stein signed a twoyear, $4.4 million deal with the Warriors.
“By the end of it, it was no longer about getting paid,” Cauley-Stein said. “It was more how do I stay secure and how do I build off that security. I think the Warriors were probably the best at doing that in the league. It was a real easy decision.”
The Warriors and Kings are at opposite ends of the spectrum. In the five years
that the Warriors have reached the NBA Finals consecutively, the Kings haven’t reached the playoffs. In four years, Cauley-Stein has played for two different coaches in George Karl (2015-16) and Dave Joerger (2016-19), and Luke Walton would have been the third had Cauley-Stein stayed with the Kings. The Warriors’ front office is model of success. The Kings’ front-office is a model of dysfunction.
Cauley-Stein said he has had conversations with coach Steve Kerr, Curry and Draymond Green. In what Cauley-Stein described as an “exciting conversation,” Kerr outlined how he and Russell would operate in pick-and-roll sets. CauleyStein added that Green told him the Warriors would give him a “fresh start.”
“Being a playoff team that got championships, it’s going to bring something different out of you,” Cauley-Stein said. “Having Draymond next to you, he’s bringing that dog out of you. That’s two different influences. … The Warriors nation as a fan base — that’s a whole lot of pressure. Then you got the pressure of playing with some greats. That just turns me on. I’m just excited. I can’t wait to get in workouts and really learn the whole thing.”
Some needed perspective, though: Cauley-Stein is not joining the Warriors team that won an NBA record 73 games in the 2015-16 season. Or is he joining a Warriors team that won two NBA titles over the past three years. Kevin Durant left for Brooklyn. The Warriors traded Andre Iguodala to Memphis to
clear salary. Thompson is expected to miss half of next season because of an injured ACL in his left knee. The Warriors’ wing players include Alfonzo McKinnie, Glenn Robinson III and Alec Burks. Curry is the lone Warriors player who is at least 30 years old. And the Warriors’ starting center will presumably be Cauley-Stein, while the other options will involve a little bit of Green and Kevon Looney.
“I’m interested in how they see where I fit,” Cauley-Stein said. “I really can’t say anything until I have my first couple of workouts with them, but I do believe they have the foundation. The outlook is for me to grow. I think that will help me grow into a complete basketball player.”
Cauley-Stein has some idea how the fit will work, though.
The Warriors have embraced signing players with unique personalities, including JaVale McGee (2016-18) and Nick Young (2017-18). So Cauley-Stein anticipated the Warriors will embrace his personality, which includes a love for art and a forehead tattoo. With the Warriors acquiring Russell from Brooklyn in a sign-andtrade, they are expected to feature more pick-and-roll sets than just relying on a heavy ball-movement offense. So, Cauley-Stein predicted he will have plenty of space to operate.
“They are obviously going to have to change how we play just a little bit,” Cauley-Stein said. “But that’s exciting because the spacing is going to be crazy. It’s going to be a really good situation.”