Anthony Slater just dropped the news this afternoon: Steve Kerr says you’ve earned the starting spot going forward. Just like that, the uncertainty is over. And we had to write you again.
Remember that
birthday letter we sent three weeks ago? The one where we admitted we didn’t have the answers, only questions? Where we wondered aloud about your crossroads, about the Warriors’ scattered development history, about whether your timeline would match the organization’s patience?
Turns out you had the answer all along. You just needed to show it on the court.
Kerr made it official before Tuesday’s win over the Clippers. Not as a placeholder. Not because of an injury. Because you forced his hand with your play. “He’ll be our starter going forward,” Kerr said. “He’s been fantastic.” That’s how it’s supposed to work, right? Except in Golden State, with Hall of Famers everywhere and championship expectations crushing down, nothing feels simple. But you made it look that way.
Through five games, the numbers tell a story of someone who stopped searching and started arriving. You’re averaging 16.2 points on 54% shooting. You’ve knocked down seven of 16 threes, silencing the critics who said your jumper couldn’t be trusted. But here’s the stat that matters most: 37 rebounds. That’s the most you’ve ever grabbed in a five-game stretch. Kerr said it himself—the rebounding and rim attacks make you special. When you play to that ability, it changes the team.
And the team? They’re 4-1. When you share the court with Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, the Warriors are plus-37. Last year, that trio struggled with spacing concerns. This season, you’re making it work by being more purposeful. Fewer mid-range pullups. More attacks. More pressure. More trust in your teammates. The improvements aren’t abstract anymore. They’re measurable. They’re winning games.
In that birthday letter, we asked if you could see Harrison Barnes as inspiration or warning. We wondered about the margin for error this franchise gives young players. We questioned whether patience runs out before development peaks. Those questions felt heavy because the Warriors’ history with lottery picks carries real weight. Todd Fuller. James Wiseman. Jordan Poole gone after helping win a title.
But you’re writing a different story.
Here’s the thing though, JK: new levels, new devils. Earning the starting spot was the test. Now comes the takeover. Because securing your role is nice, but we didn’t come here for nice. We came here to watch you dominate. To watch you become the reason opposing coaches lose sleep scheming for Chase Center. To watch you turn from “promising young talent” into “problem we can’t solve.”
You’re the fifth-year wing who didn’t let contract uncertainty break his focus. Who came back on a two-year deal with no promises and carved out the role anyway. Beautiful. But that was survival mode. Now it’s time for domination mode.
Kerr’s handing you the keys to guard the opposition’s best perimeter scorer every single night. Ja Morant. James Harden. Whoever walks through that tunnel thinking they’re getting buckets. That’s your assignment. And if you lock them down while dropping efficient 16-20 a night? While crashing glass like a power forward in a wing’s body? While making the right pass and attacking downhill? That’s when the Warriors don’t just compete in the West—they run it.
This roster has Steph Curry still doing Steph Curry things. Draymond orchestrating chaos. Jimmy Butler being Jimmy Buckets. But you? You’re the wildcard that makes this whole thing terrifying. You’re the athletic freak who can switch 1-through-4, finish above the rim, and now knock down the three-ball consistently. When you dominate your role, this team dominates the conference. It’s that simple.
The beautiful part? This feels like the beginning, not the ending. The veterans can’t carry heavy minutes forever. The window for you to become essential isn’t just open. It’s WIDE open and begging you to walk through it with your chest out.
So congratulations on earning it, JK. Now go break the league with it. Turn 23 into the year we look back on and say “that’s when he became inevitable.” Dominate your role. Lock down your matchups. Punish defenses. Make Dub Nation roar.
Let’s go get this championship.
