The Golden State Warriors need additional depth and Tristan Thompson could be a surprisingly good fit.
In recent years, the Golden State Warriors have gradually sacrificed depth for star power. As the talent in the Bay Area has steadily dwindled, the rotation has become more limited than ever before.
We already know of the devastating blows the Dubs have suffered this year. Losing Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, DeMarcus Cousins and Shaun Livingston were compounded by severe injuries to Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry.
The difference in last year’s roster and the current lineup is startling. At their peak, the Dubs had a rotation consisting of two MVPs, two Finals MVPs, a Defensive Player of the Year and a grand total of five All-Star caliber players.
2018-19 Warriors:
- PG – Stephen Curry (6x All-Star)
- SG – Klay Thompson (5x All-Star)
- SF – Kevin Durant (10x All-Star)
- PF – Draymond Green (3x All-Star)
- C – DeMarcus Cousins (4x All-Star)
2019-20 Warriors:
- D’Angelo Russell (1x All-Star)
- Jordan Poole (Rookie)
- Glen Robinson III
- Draymond Green (3x All-Star)
- Willie Cauley-Stein
It’s clear there is a huge drop off in talent between the two lineups. The Warriors will need to act fast in order to bring the type of help needed to compete in the playoffs next year.
This help may come in the form of an unsuspecting star, Tristan Thompson. Though TT is far from being regarded as an All-Star, his performance thus far this season has been nothing short of outstanding.
Thompson is averaging a career-high 16.5 points while also racking in 11.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. He has shown great improvements to his offensive game, connecting on 54.2 percent of his field-goal attempts.
TT has even managed to stretch the floor for Cleveland, drilling 3-of-7 attempts from beyond the arc this season.
Alongside Green, the Warriors frontcourt would consist of a junkyard dog mentality that Thompson is becoming notorious for. The energy between these two would be unmatched.
Of course, there would need to be a truce formed between the two frontcourt players. Thompson and Green have reportedly gotten into scuffles before as their four consecutive meetings in the NBA Finals have obviously created a rivalry.
The asking price to Thompson may not be too high as the Cavaliers are in the middle of a grueling rebuild. A decent draft pick could be enough to get a deal done. This is something the Dubs should keep in mind as the season progresses.