Golden State Warriors are out of playoff picture – and that’s okay

With three straight losses, the Golden State Warriors have fallen to ninth place in the Western Conference – just barely outside of the playoff picture.

In years prior, this would be a sick feeling. Seeing a prime year of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green potentially go down the drain as the Dubs miss the postseason would be an awful thing to imagine. However, it might be for the best, in this oddly specific scenario.

A few losses have led to the Golden State Warriors falling out of the playoff picture, which might be a good thing in the long run.

It’s pretty rare for a team with three superstar-level talents to land a pick in the NBA Draft Lottery. But, it’s completely unprecedented for that very same team to end up with two more lottery picks the following year. For the Warriors, this bittersweet dream scenario could become a reality.

Injuries helped the Dubs secure the No. 2 overall pick last year. Now, another injury to Klay Thompson and a weak supporting cast could allow the Warriors to miss the postseason and retain their 2021 First Round pick, which otherwise would transfer to Oklahoma City if the pick finishes in the bottom 20.

That’s not all, the Warriors could also acquire Minnesota’s first round pick if it doesn’t land in the top three. With flattened lottery odds, this is pretty much a coin toss even if the Wolves continue to post the worst record in the NBA.

It seems the Warriors are already aware of this situation as they chose to sit Green and Curry in their upcoming game against the Phoenix Suns. This resulted in another loss, dropping the team to 19-18 as the front office places emphasis on resting their stars rather than going all-out for a playoff berth.

Golden State has been struggling to remain above water and it’s because of their inconsistent supporting cast. Kelly Oubre began the year abysmal from the field but has been on fire lately – whereas Andrew Wiggins has done the exact opposite, slumping at the worst time and making it difficult for this team to maintain any cohesion.

Perhaps the only consistent player outside of Green and Curry has been Brad Wanamaker, who has consistently shown he isn’t a great choice at the backup guard position. Replacing Wanamaker and bolstering the Warriors bench is a MUST before they enter next season fully healthy.

While yes, trades and free agency signings can help alleviate this issue, it would be even better if the Warriors can stockpile talent in the draft and fill out their roster that way. For this reason, missing the playoffs is a good thing.