Remember in the TV show That's So Raven, when she would get a glimpse of the future and something was always going terribly wrong? That's how it felt watching the Golden State Warriors without Steph Curry and Draymond Green last night.
Unsurprisingly, things were ugly — and it was a clear reminder of why the Warriors want to target Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in the first place. Because this Warriors team has two aging stars, one with a torn ACL, and no reason to think that the non-Steph, Dray, and Jimmy players on this roster.
Recently, I wrote about how entering next year with a 38 year-old star and a 32 year-old star — plus not much else — is a dangerous proposition. I still believe that, but last night's game also made me realizet that entering next year with a 38 year-old star and... Whatever this is — is way worse!
Not trading for Giannis might actually be riskier than trading for him. Because in trading for him, the Warriors know they will get superstar production for at least a few years. The only risk in that scenario would come with what the Warriors would have to sacrifice to get Giannis. And every time we see this team play without Steph or Draymond, we're reminded that... There isn't much else to look forward to.
Warriors' are starting to feel the effects of going all-in
I don't want to disrespect Brandin Podziemski or Moses Moody or Pat Spencer or Quinten Post or any of the other young players on this Warriors team. I think each of them can be good supporting players on good teams; in fact, before Jimmy Butler's injury, they were!
But no one should be surprised that none of those guys can be a primary option on a team without Steph Curry or Butler.
The biggest question now isn't whether the Warriors should trade for Giannis. It's whether the Bucks will be moved by anything the Warriors can give them in return. If we see too many more games like last night's, then... Probably not.
This team has refused to really look toward the future in recent years. That's been okay — it led to a championship in 2022, when plenty of folks already believed the writing was on the wall. But now, four years later, we're really seeing the shockwaves of refusing to prioritize youth and assets, and it looks like losing to the Timberwolves without Anthony Edwards by 25.
But hey, if the team has been insistent on going all-in up to this point, why not do it one more time? If we just got a preview of what not going all-in looks like, then I think the choice is clear.