Golden State Warriors: Tanking this season is a real option
By Tony Pesta
The Golden State Warriors may find themselves electing to tank in the 2019-20 NBA season.
It’s going to take a miracle for the Golden State Warriors to compete for the title this year. The gaps in their lineup left by Kevin Durant‘s decision and Klay Thompson‘s injury are going to halt any championship aspirations.
Combined, Durant and Thompson accumulated 40 percent of the Warriors points per game last season. Finding a way to replace this offensive production will be nearly impossible for Golden State.
Furthermore, the Dubs will struggle to recover defensively without two of their most versatile defenders. New additions such as D’Angelo Russell only compound the Warriors’ potential issues on defense.
There is no way around it, the Warriors will need an otherworldly performance from their core three players to be a top tier team in the West. If a significant injury occurs to either Stephen Curry or Draymond Green, the Dubs would likely miss the postseason entirely.
As a result, tanking is a real option for the Warriors this year. With a limited ceiling, the Dubs could be better off getting themselves into the NBA Draft Lottery.
Landing a good pick in the 2020 NBA Draft gives the Warriors two great options. The franchise could either draft a player for the future or use this pick as a trade asset to make a move for a current NBA star.
Of course, throwing away a season of Curry and Green’s prime is a tough tradeoff. There is no telling how long these two will be elite and it would be a shame to waste any of their talents.
However, there is a possibility that the Warriors’ fate is already decided by February. A few injuries or bad stretches from the team could have them on the border of the playoff picture late in the season.
If this is the case, the Warriors have every reason to rest their stars and tank a bit. There is no point in suffering a first-round exit as an eight seed. Rather, Golden State is better off securing a lottery pick.
dark. Next. Warriors have two massive gaps to fill
Whether or not the five-time Western Conference champions will actually tank is debatable. Still, it is most definitely something the front office is considering.