Golden State Warriors preparing for sustained greatness
By Tony Pesta
This season will act as a building block for the Golden State Warriors to sustain greatness moving forward.
The Golden State Warriors took their first step towards a new era this summer. Losing Kevin Durant sent the franchise down a path they would have otherwise avoided for some time. Now, the team is scrambling to set themselves up for future success.
The departure of Andre Iguodala, DeMarcus Cousins and Shaun Livingston were necessary moves for the Warriors. A full commitment to a new era is the only way they will find success. Cleaning out the shop and starting fresh was the first move for Golden State.
Obviously, the franchise isn’t underdoing a complete reset. At the end of the day, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson will be the core of the Warriors. These three All-Stars have the ability to carry the team for at least another four years.
However, a massive change to the Warriors style will happen this season. Acquiring D’Angelo Russell not only kept the Dubs in title contention but it placed them in a position to remain competitive for years to come.
Russell is going to fit beautifully with this team. His ability to create plays is going to open the floor for Curry and add an extra flavor to the Warriors’ already potent offense. If he blossoms into a deadly 3-point shooter, D-Lo will be a serious threat.
As a result, the Warriors have been ranked as the third-best team in ESPN’s future power rankings. These rankings predict which teams will have the most success over the next three seasons. The Warriors fell behind to only the Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets.
Though it may not be clear yet, the Warriors have everything set in place to be a longterm dynasty. Curry is still very much in his prime while his potential predecessor, Russell, is beginning his journey to reaching superstar status.
The cards are in the Warriors’ favor. All they need to do now is work at developing their core and focus on adding consistent bench talent to keep this dynasty alive.