Golden State Warriors: Youth could hurt or help the team this season

It’s possible that this younger Golden State Warriors roster could hurt or help the team this season.

In the wake of a devastating free agency period, the Golden State Warriors walked away with a much different roster than they began with. Though the original big three of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green remain with the franchise, a large number of other players departed.

Most notably, their two-time Finals MVP, Kevin Durant, joined the Brooklyn Nets. In addition to Durant, the Dubs also lost DeMarcus Cousins, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Jordan Bell and Quinn Cook.

To make up for their losses, the Warriors added a 23-year old All-Star in D’Angelo Russell, as well as a few other players. Alec Burks, Willie Cauley-Stein, Jordan Poole and Glenn Robinson III make up the rest of the Dubs roster.

If it isn’t clear already, the Warriors became significantly younger this summer. Players such as Iguodala and Livingston are both on the brink of retirement whereas Cousins and Durant suffered severe injuries that could shorten the length of their career’s.

In place of these aging players, the Dubs now have plethra of young talent. This tradeoff could help them in the long run if each player manages to make strides in their development. Furthermore, fresh legs will go a long way in helping a team that is coming off of five consecutive trips to the NBA Finals.

In contrast, their lack of experience could come back to bite them. If the Warriors expect to compete for a championship this season, there will be a steep learning curve for players like Russel, Cauley-Stein and Poole.

It will be very interesting to see which direction this season goes. On one hand, the Dubs could ride their youth movement to years of success. However, there is a chance that none of it works out. This season is going to be fun to watch.