Warriors Dodge a Bullet With Love
There were countless moves this offseason in the NBA: LeBron James left Miami for Cleveland, Chandler Parsons left Dallas for Houston and for some reason, Carmelo Anthony re-signed with the Knicks, amongst many others.
More from Blue Man Hoop
- 3x champion may come to regret forgoing Golden State Warriors reunion
- Golden State Warriors: History shows USA may need Stephen Curry for more than the Olympics
- 7 players Golden State Warriors might replace Klay Thompson with by the trade deadline
- Golden State Warriors villain pours on more pain to end USA’s World Cup
- Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry continues philanthropic efforts off the court
But it was the move that did not happen that produced the most buzz. The proposed deal was the Golden State Warriors trading Klay Thompson to Minnesota for Kevin Love, an elite player in this league – or so we thought.
The complete deal would have been Thompson, David Lee and Draymond Green/Harrison Barnes for Love and Kevin Martin. There may have been more players involved, but those were the staples of the deal. It looked like a great deal for the Warriors on paper because they were receiving an elite post player and three-point shooter – a clear upgrade over Lee, who had struggled the year before. It was also believed that shooting guards were a dime a dozen in the NBA and Green was not the player he is today. Hence, why the deal was proposed in the first place.
But the Warriors’ front office knew better than to entertain this offer. They knew if they traded Thompson and Green, their defense could get significantly worse and there was the risk that they wouldn’t be the elite team they are today. Soon after the rumors, they rewarded Thompson with a max extension for four more years for $70 million, showing their belief in Thompson and what he could achieve in this league.
Green was one the best perimeter defenders on the team last season, going toe-to-toe against superstar Blake Griffin in the postseason and more than holding his own. That effort in the postseason and his improved shooting impressed the Warriors’ brass enough to keep him and it paid dividends immediately due to an injury to Lee. The results have been unbelievable for both players, with Thompson playing like an All-Star and the best two-way shooting guard in the NBA , while Green has emerged as a potential Most Improved Player of the Year candidate and a much improved shooter.
On the other side of the equation is Love, who got his wish of leaving Minnesota and finding himself in Cleveland with James and Kyrie Irving, creating their own big three. It seemed like a match-made in heaven with arguably the best players at two different positions. But due to a rookie head coach, injuries and a lack of chemistry, the Cavaliers have really struggled this season to the tune of 19-17.
Meanwhile the Warriors are absolutely rolling and are the best team in the NBA. If Love was on this team and Thompson and Green were in Minnesota, this team could be out of the playoff race in the West. It is well-known that good defensive teams in the league win regularly, which is why the Warriors have made the postseason two straight years. With Love, their defense would be worse and the offense might not work – two areas where they’ve excelled and thrived this season. Instead they have a 28-5 record with Thompson and Green, possibly joining Curry in New York for the All-Star Game. On Friday night, they will be hosting a struggling Cavaliers team without James, a seemingly lost Love and a team that was completely overhauled during the last week.
In the end, the Warriors should be ecstatic that this deal was never made. They are crushing opponents and the Cavaliers are struggling to stay over .500 with uncertainty everywhere. The Warriors are winning with defense and Thompson and Green are huge reasons why they are the best team in the NBA. If both franchises continue their trends, it will be the Warriors, and not the big three in Cleveland, that will be holding the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. And that is music to all Warriors fans’ ears.