Golden State Warriors: Veteran experience is of utmost importance

Before the Golden State Warriors can begin their run to another title, they need to add some veteran players to the roster.

If there’s one thing most NBA champions have in common with each other, it’s experience. It’s unusual for a team to accomplish the biggest feat in basketball without having a battle-tested roster full of players ready to take on immense pressure. For the Golden State Warriors, adding more veterans will be of utmost importance this offseason.

The Warriors have been the rising star team before. Back in their first run to a title, no member of the team had competed in the NBA Finals. This didn’t stop them from defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games – albeit the Cavs were dealing with similar inexperience aside from LeBron James.

However, that 2015 team still had some quality veterans on the roster. Leandro Barbosa, David Lee, Andrew Bogut and of course, Finals MVP, Andre Iguodala, all had some experience in the postseason leading up to this run. We can’t say the same about the 2020-21 Warriors.

Beyond the Dubs’ original core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, the rest of the roster has minimal playoff experience. Only Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney have any history in the postseason while the rest of the team will be brand new to the scene. This could cause problems for the Warriors if they run into teams like the Los Angeles Lakers who have a wide array of veteran talent available to play.

So, who should the Dubs target in the offseason? Names like Danilo Gallinari, Dwight Howard, Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol have been popular suggestions throughout the year. Recently, Jeremy Lin has even been rumored to be on the Dubs’ radar.

While only a few of these players have the potential to play significant minutes, having their presence in the locker room could be a difference-maker. Adding another vet could play a huge role in rebuilding this dynasty and keeping the Warriors in contention for a championship.