Victor Wembanyama's rise has now reached a point where he may have reached the pinnacle of NBA players, making for a scary thought for 29 other teams but particularly those in the Western Conference like the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors are now facing a brutal reality after Wembanyama's extraordinary Game 1 performance on the road in the Western Conference Finals -- how do we possibly make ourselves a contender over the next few years? Will we just be making up the numbers even if we can re-emerge into the playoff picture?
Warriors face brutal reality after stunning Victor Wembanyama rise
Facing reigning back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the top seed/reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder, Wembanyama was simply the most dominant player on the floor in a remarkable 122-115 double overtime victory on Monday.
The 22-year-old had a monstrous 41 points, 24 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in nearly 50 minutes, leading his team to a surprise victory without the presence of All-Star guard De'Aaron Fox.
Many teams, including the Warriors, would have watched on resigned to the fact they're a fair way from that level of basketball, even accounting for the fact Stephen Curry actually led his team to a pair of wins in San Antonio earlier in the season, going for 46 and 49 points in a three-day period.
How do Golden State make up that gap? They could trade all their future first-round picks for an absolute win-now superstar move, and even then that would be no guarantee of being able to match it with Wembanyama and the Spurs, or even the Thunder for that matter.
The answer is 28 https://t.co/WtItKzE08P
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) May 19, 2026
You have to wonder whether Wembanyama and the Spurs' rise actually makes aging, veteran teams like Golden State more reserved? What's the point of sacrificing the entire future for something in the short-term that likely won't come to fruition anyway?
Warriors still need to try and give Stephen Curry a chance
This all sounds very pessimistic, and the Warriors should still be operating in a manner that's trying to give Curry a chance, even if it's a very remote one. Golden State would know, perhaps better than any, the change of fortune that comes from injuries or other varying factors.
Who knows? Perhaps the Warriors can get themselves into a second-round meeting with Wembanyama and the Spurs next season. They might be horribly outmatched in such a scenario, but weird things happen in sport.
It's important to look around and understand your place within the league dynamic, but more than anything Golden State should just be looking internally right now and ensuring that the final years of the Curry era can still deliver a couple of meaningful playoff appearances.
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