The initial frenzy of the 2022 NBA offseason has passed. As the dust settles, we can take a closer look at how the Golden State Warriors stack up compared to everyone else this summer.
Did the Dubs get better or worse?
More importantly, did the summer of 2022 see a new foe emerge to threaten the Warriors?
Let’s take a look.
The Golden State Warriors did not win the 2022 NBA offseason but they did not lose either. They kinda just… landed in the middle of the pack.
Golden State lost a chunk of their roster in free agency.
Otto Porter, Gary Payton, Damion Lee, Nemanja Bjelica and Juan Toscano-Anderson are all gone.
That’s five members of a championship team leaving in the summer.
While only Porter and Payton can be listed as major losses, it’s a blow to the Warriors’ overall depth to lose guys like Lee, Bjelica and JTA.
In their place, Golden State has added Donte DiVincenzo, who can adequately narrow the gap between the production Porter and Payton gave them.
The Dubs also added another rookie in Patrick Baldwin, a 6’9″ wing who could one day be a useful asset. Next season, though? It is unlikely he contributes at a high level.
This leaves us feeling a bit underwhelmed. Golden State certainly did not get better this summer, barring any last-second trades or leaps in internal development from prospects like Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.
Perhaps their biggest swing to improve will be James Wiseman, who is ready to play for the first time since his abrupt rookie season.
A healthy and productive Wiseman would lift the Warriors into another stratosphere next season.
For now, the loss of two key producers in Porter and Payton leaves the Dubs feeling hollowed out entering the season.
Fortunately, not many other teams have made big splashes in free agency, either.
It was a rather uneventful offseason with the Warriors landing somewhere in the middle of the pack.
Though, it is worth mentioning the Boston Celtics, who recently fell short of a championship, added two major pieces in Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari.
Golden State will mostly be running it back next season. We will see if it’s enough to properly efend their title.