The 2019-20 NBA season ending early is going to hurt the ongoing development of the Golden State Warriors’ young core.
For the most part, the Golden State Warriors are breathing a huge sigh of relief that the NBA’s plan to resume the 2019-20 NBA season in Orlando will not be including them. Sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 15-50 record, the Dubs had zero chance of competing in the playoffs and therefore served no purpose returning this year.
In particular, the front office is thrilled to finally let go of this ugly season and look forward to the future. The upcoming NBA Draft and free agency period will be at the top of their priority list.
But, while a majority of the organization enjoys this time off, the Dubs’ young core is being negatively affected. Missing nearly a fourth of the season is going to limit their ability to develop.
The Warriors had 17 games remaining on their schedule before the sports world was put on hold. These games were extremely valuable to players such as Eric Paschall, Jordan Poole, Marquese Chriss, Ky Bowman and Damion Lee.
Who is hurt the most?
Chriss may be the player who was stifled the most by the season ending so abruptly. He was in the midst of perhaps the best stretch of his young career and making strides as a two-way rim-runner for the Dubs.
His play did not go unnoticed. The Warriors appear to be comfortable entering next season with Chriss as their starting center. Nonetheless, he will have to regain momentum in December in order to prove he is worthy of an increased role.
Obviously, the two rookies have been impacted as well. Poole and Paschall will both be limited by missing out on a chunk of their first seasons. Mostly Poole, who was beginning to heat up towards the second half of the year.
Paschall should be okay as most of his game already appears to be developed. However, he will need to continue improving on the defensive end if he wants to remain a key member of the team.
Looking further to the future, the upcoming season will be additionally tough for whoever the Warriors select in the 2020 NBA Draft. This incoming rook will have less time than usual to adapt to the pros and find a niche within the team.
The Warriors have a mountain of adversity to overcome next season. While an extended time off has its benefits, this is one of the downfalls.