The Golden State Warriors will be disastrously short-handed for the rest of the season, especially on the back-end of back-to-back matchups.
Because of the rescheduling of the game in Minnesota over the weekend, Warriors fans were forced to get an early glimpse at what this might look like. In the team's 83-108 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night, they were without Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, De'Anthony Melton, and Al Horford. Jimmy Butler is out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL.
This left the team's young complementary players, including Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody, with the reigns in their hands.
The result was absolutely disastrous.
In the scheme of this season, it's just a singular game. Golden State will certainly rebound once their veterans return to action. But when considered from the perspective of the future of the organization, it offers a glimpse of a dark vision.
The Warriors are nothing without Stephen Curry
With Butler out for the remainder of the season, the expectations for this team are already low. Even with Curry still playing at a high level, they have no hope of reaching championship contention without a bona-fide second or third scoring option in their rotation.
Yet Butler's injury also offers a painful reminder of what lies ahead for the team. Curry, Butler, and Green are only under contract through next season. Head coach Steve Kerr's contract expires at the end of this season.
The Warriors will soon be left in the hands of the sub-par young core they have cultivated.
Against Minnesota, Golden State struggled tremendously. They shot just 23.1% from 3-point range and 34.7% from the field against a Timberwolves defense that has taken a serious dip since the start of the season. Quinten Post led the team with 13 points.
Over the remainder of the season, the Warriors will depend on players like Podziemski, Moody, and Post to step up and provide some offense. Yet all of them lack the aggression and the shot-making ability to truly be difference-making players at this point in their careers.
Beyond the end of Curry's career, however, this is what Golden State will be left with. They have failed to truly build up their young core over the past few seasons, and they will soon pay the price.
One can only hope these players will take major strides over the next season and a half.