Golden State Warriors have 15th best future according to ESPN

Last year, the Golden State Warriors were ranked as one of the most promising teams of the future by ESPN. They ranked the Dubs third in the entire NBA in their future outlook due to their upcoming draft selection and numerous picks down the line.

However, things have changed. A somewhat disappointing rookie season from James Wiseman, along with a tight financial situation and the possibility of losing their draft capital this year has the Dubs plummeting from third in the rankings to 15th this time around.

The Golden State Warriors have tumbled down ESPN’s Future Power Rankings, dropping from third to 15th in a span of one year.

As we mentioned, the Dubs were heralded as a bright young team with the addition of Wiseman and the potential for another top pick in this year’s NBA Draft via their trade for Andrew Wiggins. Assuming they can juice out another three years of prime Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, it is hard to understand why the Dubs would be ranked smack dab in the middle of the association.

ESPN’s justification is actually a decent one. Solely because the Warriors are straddling in the middle of building for the future and winning a championship as soon as possible it is hard to calculate where they will land in the next few years.

Wiseman posted just 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds, hardly cracking the top-20 in minutes per game for rookies this season. His raw talent was on display at times, but for the most part, he looked lost on the floor.

Wiseman’s development could make or break the Dubs moving forward. Will he blossom into the dominant two-way paint presence they hoped for? Or are we looking at a short career from a burnout lottery pick?

The outcome of the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery will go a long way in determining which direction the Warriors fall as well. So long as the Minnesota Timberwolves do not land in the top three, the Warriors will obtain the rights to their pick. As it currently stands, have a more than 70 percent chance of acquiring the selection.

However, the Dubs are actively being hurt by the Wolves’ recent success. What was once a 60 percent chance of being the fourth or fifth pick has fallen to just a 10 percent shot of landing in the top five and a more than 50 percent shot at dropping to seventh or worse in the order.

Missing on another chance to draft a future star would hurt the Dubs’ chances of being a title contender before Curry and Thompson run out of gas. With such limited cap space, the Warriors only shot at building a strong supporting cast is truly through the draft.

For these reasons, I guess it is fair to have the Warriors sitting at 15th in the power rankings. The reality is, this team could pole vault themselves into another dynasty or collapse into the lottery for the foreseeable future. It all comes down to a bit of luck.