The Golden State Warriors are one of the eight teams not returning to play in Orlando, but they may still have somewhat of an ending to their season.
There’s no denying that after the fourth game of the season the Golden State Warriors’ 2018-2019 campaign was all but over. Since then, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have combined to play just one game.
The result has been the Warriors going 15-50 and not being included in the league’s 22-team restart.
Led by D’Angelo Russell for most of the season, the team should be enjoying a lengthy offseason as their competitive play ended in March. This will be their first time in half a decade in which their offseason will be multiple months instead of early June through early fall.
However, if approved, there could be a second bubble forming that will involve the eight teams that weren’t included in the Orlando restart, crushing the Warriors dreams of a long offseason. This would inevitably add to the revenue, one reason the league may be down for it.
This would not be an ideal scenario for a Warriors team that is looking at a deep playoff run in the 2020-2021 season. They could use the time off, unlike teams like the Cavaliers that may want the extra time on the court.
That said, if somehow approved, the Warriors, for that reason, need to consider holding out their big three. The one big positive is that it seems unlikely to be approved given all the risks currently associated with the league’s initially restart plans.
The league’s restart seems to be financially driven, so adding revenue could be a huge incentive to get a deal done. At the same time, it doesn’t feel like many people would tune in to those unnecessary games.
Either way, the Warriors’ Big 3 have each dealt with injuries, have each played in the last five NBA Finals and could easily use their time off. That’s why, even if the return is somehow approved, the Warriors should hold Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green out.
Let them rest while Eric Paschall and the young guns run the show for such meaningless games. Again, this being approved is a big if.