Golden State Warriors: Next generation is taking over

The Golden State Warriors will have to worry about more than just the usual foes moving forward. This ‘next’ generation of superstars might have ‘now’, as it feels like the league is going through a massive power shift this postseason.

For close to a decade, the NBA has been dominated by the same four stars each season. Since 2012, the road to winning a championship went directly through LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard or Kevin Durant. If you wanted to win, you’d have to beat one of these guys. And, for many, many years — no one could beat them.

That is until recently, with Curry and James being bounced early in the postseason and Leonard on the brink of elimination against the Dallas Mavericks. We will get to Durant’s current status in a minute — but, let’s start with the subtle fact that the league’s young stars aren’t too interested in waiting for the torch to be passed. These guys want to win NOW.

The Golden State Warriors will have to worry about some new faces next season as this new generation looks ready to compete.

Players as recent as the 2018 NBA Draft are having a massive impact on the current playoff picture. Trae Young knocked off the New York Knicks in five quick games with a swift 29.2 points and 9.8 assists per game. Luka Doncic has the LA Clippers facing a trip to Cancun behind 34.0 points and 9.7 assists per night.

Even DeAndre Ayton, who has received a bit of flack lately for being drafted before both Young and Doncic has been balling lately, playing a pivotal role in bumping LeBron James and the defending champs out of the playoffs in round one. Ayton recorded four double-doubles in six games against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Keep in mind, Doncic is only 22 years old and is already wreaking havoc on one of the league’s most stacked rosters. What’s more, he’s doing it with one of the weakest supporting casts in the postseason. This guy is going to be a long-term problem for anyone looking to win a title this decade.

Moving back from the 2018 class, the 2017 boys are doing pretty solid, as well. Donovan Mitchell has led the Utah Jazz to the best record in the NBA and has his eyes on a trip to the Western Conference Finals. While the Boston Celtics fell in five games to Brooklyn, Jayson Tatum further solidified himself as a threat to the throne in years to come.

How about Devin Booker? He might not feel like he’s as young as he is, given Booker is already playing in his sixth season. But, this kid is only 24 years old and is making gargantuan steps towards being a top-tier guard in this league.

Oh yeah, I didn’t even mention Giannis Antetokounmpo yet, either. Who for the record, doesn’t turn 27 until December. As for the likely 2020-21 MVP, Nikola Jokic? He’s only 25 years old. His sidekick, Jamal Murray is just 24 while Michael Porter Jr. isn’t even 23 yet.

For the sake of giving everyone a shout-out, other notable players under 25 years of age include Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, Bam Adebayo, Ben Simmons, LaMelo Ball, Collin Sexton, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jaylen Brown. Of course, the Warriors have a potential star on their roster in James Wiseman, as well.

The league has never been this full of young talent. There is a good chance we’ll see a new star hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy this July. It is true that Leonard and Durant are still active and will certainly give a warm welcome to these young bucks, but I’m not sure they are the same favorites to streak to a title as they were in the past.

For Stephen Curry (33), Klay Thompson (31) and Draymond Green (31), it’s quickly becoming a young man’s league. Can these old heads still hang with the new generation? Probably. But, it’s going to be more of a challenge than we likely thought.