The Golden State Warriors didn't trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo before the deadline, but that wasn't because of a lack of trying. They pivoted to Kristaps Porziņġis instead, who they hope will be ready to play after the All-Star break. The fact that he was their prize deadline acquisition should tell fans what they already knew, and what the front office doesn't want to admit.
Mike Dunleavy said after the trade deadline that he believes the team is "trending in the right direction." Expecting him to say otherwise would be silly, but still. No one truly believes that.
At this point, Golden State will be lucky to make it past the play-in tournament, and if that happens, it would be a miracle to make it past the first round. We're not even going to talk about advancing to the conference finals because the likelihood of that happening is so low.
Jimmy Butler is done for the season, and Steph Curry is currently out with a knee injury, but he will hopefully return after the break. As mentioned, that's what the plan is for Porziņġis, who last played on Jan. 7. He's missed the past few weeks due to Achilles tendinitis. He played only 17 games for the Hawks this season; last season, for the Celtics, he played 42.
Counting on Porziņġis to step in and "save" the Warriors' season is not only unfair to him, but also a very big reach.
Golden State knows the clock is ticking for Steph Curry, who will turn 38 next year, so it will try to put its best foot forward for the rest of the season. The issue is that it won't be good enough, no matter what the organization tries to lead you to believe.
The Golden State Warriors are fading fast
If only the Warriors were in the East, where it would be much easier for them to make the kind of run they want to. It wouldn't be much of a surprise if they made it to the conference finals, let alone the NBA Finals. To get there in the West, though, they'll have to make it past either the Thunder, Spurs, Rockets, or Nuggets, and that'd be in the first round.
Golden State will be back in the mix for Giannis over the summer, assuming he plans not to sign an extension with Milwaukee. The Bucks could accept an offer from another team that includes the mix of young players and assets they want. You can't count the Warriors out, as they'll probably be even more aggressive in their pursuit of the superstar, especially if they're coming off an early postseason exit.
Antetokounmpo would elevate Golden State back into the contender conversation, giving the team its best shot to win another championship with Steph, but of course, that wouldn't be guaranteed.
That's enough Giannis talk for now, as that dream may never come to fruition. What is real life is that the Warriors look like a sinking ship, one that not even a captain like Curry can save.