The Golden State Warriors have very little room for error. That's exactly what happens when you start a season without two of your best players in Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, and when you fail to find adequete replacements in what's been an underwhelming offseason.
It's left Steve Kerr hoping the Warriors will have better luck this season. As much as any team relies on luck in their aspirations to make the playoffs and ultimately win the championship, speaking about it when you're an older, injury-prone team is fraught with danger and a painful problem many fans saw coming at the start of free agency.
Steve Kerr confirms Warriors need better luck to return to playoffs
Golden State, by their own admission, prioritized talent over availability this summer. They re-signed a 40-year-old Al Horford to not just one but a two-year contract, while his former championship teammate, Kristaps Porzingis, got $20 million despite appearing in only 32 games last season.
It's left Kerr wishing for better health as the Warriors search for a return to the playoffs, having finished 10th in the Western Conference last season before being eliminated in the Play-In Tournament.
"I would guess we'll have better health this year; we had some bad luck last year. I think we're probably due for a little better luck this year," Kerr said to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.
'Guessing' you'll get better luck from a roster with six players 33 years of age or older, and with a 31-year-old Porzingis who has a long injury/health history, is an issue and one that threatens to derail the season again if Kerr's wish doesn't come to fruition.
Warriors season will be all about injury fortune
This is the reality for Golden State entering the season. They don't have enough talent where they can afford key players beyond Butler and Moody to be out, yet it's a team that still could be interesting if things do go more favorably from a health standpoint.
The roster actually makes sense when healthy and available. Butler and Porzingis are a nice foil for Stephen Curry offensively, and De'Anthony Melton is an excellent fit next to the two-time MVP in the backcourt. Draymond Green and Horford are still savvy veterans capable of contributing. Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos and Yaxel Lendeborg bring the youth that can help the team improve.
This is the optimistic outlook Kerr and the Warriors will be focusing on entering the season, but it's not the reality they walk into given the age of the roster and the injuries that will already impact their campaign.
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