Golden State Warriors: This season is an audition for young Dubs
By Adam Serpant
Following the simply disastrous opening to the 2020 NBA season, the Golden State Warriors are having to completely rethink their expectations after having to restructure their squad.
Stephen Curry will join Klay Thompson in street clothes for around half of the regular season, and nagging injuries have prevented Draymond Green and D’Angelo Russell from shepherding the Golden State Warriors through its most difficult period in over half a decade.
What remains of the defending Western Conference champions?
A group of nine players with a combined playoff experience of under 300 minutes, a group consisting of rookies, two-way players, and cast-offs from other sides. A group where the highest-paid player is earning the vet minimum.
Needless to say, this is a far cry from the Warriors of a few months ago. That roster had eleven players with multiple Finals series’ experiences. This current group of nine has two players with any kind of playoff appearance.
This group of nine is, of course, not a permanent fixture of what to expect from the Warriors this season.
Players will return when they are ready, but after Monday’s incredible performance against the Portland Trailblazers, it is clear that the young and unproven members of the squad are willing to step up for Dub Nation.
The depleted Dubs face a war to reach the postseason in the Wild West.
If they do clinch a playoff berth, it would be one of the most improbable seasons in league history. This will not be a season where success is defined by a championship, but instead by what the young Warriors can display on the court, irrespective of results.
This season should act as an audition for the next; where the core will be healthy, and the team not castrated by an enforced hard cap.
During a one-season pause, who can step up to make the cut for the reload?