We all knew this season would be a challenging one for the Golden State Warriors. Navigating through the Western Conference with enough talent to compete – but not enough to win a title, was always something that would create issues for this former dynasty.
It’s a bittersweet feeling being so close to the championship contenders. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are playing some of the best basketball of their career in vain as the loss of Klay Thompson and a weak supporting cast has hindered their ability to win games consistently.
The front office is coming to grips with a harsh reality, one that poses some concerning questions. Is it worth exerting Curry and Green every night just for a chance of cracking the postseason – or should the Dubs accept another year in the lottery and place all their chips into next year?
As we enter the NBA All-Star break, the Golden State Warriors have some serious questions they must ponder.
Thus far, Curry’s explosive shooting hasn’t taken the team very far. He’s posting nearly identical stats to his 2016 unanimous MVP run, though the Dubs are a far cry from reaching the 73 win total they amassed that year. With 18 losses already, the Warriors find themselves outside of the playoff picture with a steep mountain to climb before sitting comfortably inside the top eight of the West.
With highly-competitive teams such as the Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies all battling for position, it will take more and more from Curry to get his team into the next stage. But, even if the Warriors do make the playoffs, do they really have any chance of advancing past the first round? Probably not.
This means the Warriors have to ask themselves, genuinely, what is their goal this season? Is it all about seeing how far the young core can take themselves in one year? It would certainly be a benefit to see James Wiseman, Kelly Oubre, Eric Paschall and Andrew Wiggins perform well enough to crack a playoff berth – but is it really worth the brief experience they will get in a first round series?
I think everyone agrees the best option is missing the postseason entirely, securing a valuable NBA Draft pick and allowing Curry/Green to rest for next year. Yet, even if they successfully tank the second half of the season and accomplish this, their problems won’t all be alleviated by the return of Thompson.
The Warriors have a massive hole in their rotation at the guard position. While Oubre will likely become a sixth man and bring a wing presence to the bench once Thompson is back in the starting five – that doesn’t solve their need for a backup point guard. Brad Wanamaker isn’t cutting it at as a mediocre playmaker and below 30 percent 3-point shooter. Something needs to change.
Will the Dubs get active at the deadlines? There are some potential trades and signings to be made, after all. Or, will they focus on the upcoming NBA Draft and go even younger next season, potentially hurting their chances of winning it all by placing a bigger emphasis on building for the future.
This is the quintessential question for the Warriors’ front office – what matters more? Do they want to capitalize on the final years of Curry, Thompson and Green, or should they be focusing entirely on the next dynasty?
One thing is for sure, dynasties aren’t built by happenstance. You won’t stumble into a dynasty core by attempting to get the best of both worlds. The Dubs have to commit towards winning a title as soon as possible or nurturing their stars of the future. Attempting to do both at the same time will only make things more difficult for everybody.