Ever since the construction of this current Golden State Warriors roster during the offseason, fans could have told you that it lacked the sort of high-end talent to be able to compete for another championship.
The Warriors defied that fact through the first 15 games of the season, exploding out to a 12-3 start built on incredible depth and an exciting (but unsustainable) 12-man rotation. Since then Golden State have folded back into what many fans and analysts predicted they were going to be prior to the season -- a middling, Play-In Tournament type team that hangs around a .500 record.
The Warriors may have realized they simply need more talent
The lack of high-level talent has been evident on the offensive side of the ball over the past two months, with Golden State having ranked in the bottom 10 in offensive rating since December 1.
The Warriors have too often gone long stretches without scoring, particularly late in games or when Stephen Curry is on the bench. They simply don't have an out-and-out secondary scorer/shot creator -- Jonathan Kuminga threatened to be such but suffered an untimely injury in early January, while Andrew Wiggins is capable on some nights but is better suited as being a third option.
The good news is that Golden State appear to have realized their mistake and that they need an influx of talent, with that reflected in some very revealing comments from Steve Kerr prior to Friday's game against the Phoenix Suns.
“We don't have enough to seperate ourselves from the rest of the West. We’re not in a position where we can say, ‘Nah, we’re good. Let’s stand pat.’ That’s the reality of where we are," Kerr said.
Steve Kerr on the trade deadline: “We’re not in a position where we can say, ‘Nah, we’re good. Let’s stand pat.’ That’s the reality of where we are.”
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 1, 2025
Here’s Kerr on several deadline topics pic.twitter.com/kpjUjs8wD5
The Warrior head coach also suggested on Thursday that he and the front office are questioning whether the team has enough talent. If those within the organization have to question that about their own roster, then you can almost guarantee the answer to that is no.
Golden State's growing interest in Jimmy Butler and particularly Zach LaVine is further proof of this realization. LaVine is averaging 24 points, nearly five rebounds and nearly five assists with the Chicago Bulls this season, while shooting an incredible 44.6% from 3-point range on over seven attempts per game.
His addition would provide the Warriors with a massive influx of offensive juice, particularly if they can retain Wiggins in the process. The question now remains on whether Golden State can actually execute a trade over the next week, and whether the subsequent impact of that is enough to overcome the underwhelming nature of their season through 48 games.