Learning from legends, living his moment

When your name sits next to Steph Curry’s on the depth chart, no one expects you to be him.

What matters is bringing something he doesn’t. To complement a generational talent, not replicate one.

That’s why Taran Armstrong is focused on impact. Finding the moments that matter and making them his.

"It's actually pretty tough, even just from a personal standpoint, the way you want to go about it," Armstrong said of his experience with the Golden State Warriors at Summer League.

"You've got to understand what is the job you're actually trying to fill. I think Alex Caruso said something similar about guys trying out for the wrong positions. This is one of those things where it's like, okay, do these teams really want to see you jack up 25 shots and just get numbers, score heaps of points? In my position, probably not.

"I’ve got to realise I have Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler on my team. What can I contribute to that? Obviously, my playmaking is a big one. Rebounding. Defence I think I've improved a lot. So there are a lot of other elements to the game that I'm trying to nail down and execute really well to find a home and find a role in the team."

Armstrong signed a two-way deal with the Warriors in February and appeared in 12 games for their G League affiliate, Santa Cruz.

Despite limited minutes, he made the most of his opportunity, averaging 11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

Now in Las Vegas, he’s seizing a bigger role and a bigger stage, with his sights set on turning a two-way chance into a full-time NBA contract.

The 23-year-old says discussions with the Warriors coaching staff have centred on how he can take on greater responsibility this season.

"A lot of it is just more reps, actually seeing me play basketball," he said.

"I know they really like guys who can shoot, dribble and pass, and I think I can do all three of those things.

"I just play the game and play the way they want to play, which is also a good relationship because I see the game in a similar way. I’ll keep doing things the best way I can, and I think I'll find a good spot."

Armstrong says he’s still a little starstruck playing alongside someone of Curry’s standing in the game, but was simply eager to learn from one of the very best.

"It's still obviously one of the craziest things that's ever happened to me, just being in the room with him," the former Cairns Taipan said.

"But then you actually talk to him and realise he's just a human, a normal dude, and he's so genuine.

"You really don't know what to expect, but the image he's got across the league, across the world, he completely lives up to that, probably more so. He gives absolutely everyone the time of day. He really took his time to introduce himself to me. He's as advertised, probably better in terms of how skilled he is than what you think."

Armstrong believes his time in the NBL laid the perfect foundation for the next step in his professional journey.

"NBL was great preparation. There's nothing like, especially as a young point guard, having to shoulder a lot of responsibility when jobs are on the line," he explained.

"The NBL is a really tough league. There's a lot at stake. All those experiences can only prepare you for going forward. Now it's like, even going from captain of a team, now I'm down the bottom and I've got to craft and find a way for myself. I feel super happy with the experience I got from the NBL and I think I'm definitely prepared to continue on forward."

Armstrong remains grounded, even as he looks to capitalise on the massive opportunity in front of him.

"I think it's important to have a level of personal resilience," he said.

"You can't put too much pressure on individual moments, thinking this opportunity is going to be it. Obviously you want to make the most of everything, but if you're putting all your chips in all the time and have this mentality of, ‘oh, it's got to work’, then you're actually not going to be able to perform at the level you need to.

"I think you need to take a level of calm and understand that you might play well, you might be bad, but you're going to stay level-headed regardless.

"I think that's something I really got better at, especially over last season. I felt like one or two bad games didn't turn into three, four, five. I was able to snap out of it and find my flow again. That really helped and prepared me."

The 2025 NBA Summer League starts from July 11, Australian time, with exclusive interviews and insights available on the NBL App and NBL.com.au.