Troubling times have emerged for the Golden State Warriors franchise. A vast majority of their history could be described as troubling. However, the last ten years have seen unprecedented success, the likes of which we have not seen since the 1990s Chicago Bulls. Four championships across seven years! Now, the feathers have begun to ruffle. Wrinkles have formed at the edge of their brow. Weak spots have cropped up everywhere, and questions must be answered.
Quick Update
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— 𖤐 (@asktheworst) January 20, 2024
Here is a quick update. The Warriors have a record of 18-22 and sit in 12th place in the Western Conference. For reference, the Houston Rockets have had the worst record in the conference for three straight years and have a better record than the Warriors.
Future Hall of Famer Steph Curry is healthy and still playing well, but the rest of the roster has been awful. Klay Thompson has aged rapidly on offense and defense yet still soaks up significant minutes in the starting lineup (prompting my trade prediction earlier this season). The league has suspended Draymond Green several times.
In shocking news, Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic passed away from a sudden heart attack while the team was on the road in Utah. The NBA has rescheduled two of their games, leading to an unseasonably long layoff (the ten-day layoff ends today against the Atlanta Hawks). The obstacles to overcome are numerous, but let’s take it step by step.
How Do You Address the Coaching?
Steve Kerr was the head coaching hire directly preceding this decade of excellence in Golden State Warriors history. Naturally, all the accolades followed. Nowadays, there are questions about his ability to adapt, manage role players, and not play favorites.
The questions began at the end of last season’s playoff run when the Golden State Warriors lost to future Hall of Famer LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. A giant Lakers lineup waxed the infamous death lineup with Draymond Green at the center. After the Denver Nuggets stomped through the conference finals and NBA Finals en route to a championship, everyone’s rosters got bigger to match up to Nikola Jokic. The Phoenix Suns are the only contender still utilizing a mostly small-ball lineup. That era of basketball is probably over, but Kerr still coaches that way.
It didn’t look good this past summer when Steve Kerr took the helm of the beleaguered Team USA Basketball team. The thrashing by the large lineup of Germany shows Kerr’s inability to adjust. The NBA season has seen young Warriors players grumble for minutes, but the rotations remain mostly the same. Now Steve Kerr is navigating everything with one less assistant coach.
“It’s hard to describe the week. Heartbreaking, devastating. It’s just the saddest thing I’ve ever been a part of in the NBA, where we lose someone who’s so close to us.”
Steve Kerr addressing the media on the Monday after Coach Milojevic’s passing.
What Happened to the Drafting?
Moses Moody has been slowly developing. Too slowly. Jonathan Kuminga still comes off of the bench. James Wiseman was a massive whiff as the number two pick of the 2020 draft. He was traded to Detroit. What happened to the front office? The public praised the Warriors as a homegrown team based on the talent they drafted. It has been almost a decade since the Golden State Warriors drafted a young player that starts for them.
Is Draymond Green Still a Fit?
Ahh, Draymond Green. Everything you need to know about Draymond is written here, but he is back from suspension and playing minutes off the bench. There were whispers of potential retirement, but for now, the question is, does he still fit with the Warriors? Is he even a fit in the league now, given the emphasis on shooting? A defensive-minded team like Cleveland or Minnesota could use him, but his contract is onerous, and the trade deadline is in two weeks.
Is Steph Curry Playing Out the String?
Many fans feel like Steph Curry is done from a winning perspective. At 35 years old, he will get his numbers and shuffle off into the sunset. The Golden State Warriors won’t trade their legend, and Curry has established roots in the Bay area. If the front office doesn’t make wholesale changes, Curry won’t play meaningful basketball in the latter stages of his career. This scenario is awful from the perspective of how well he still plays, but he won’t be the first legend to endure stumbles across the finish line. Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson are shooting guards who come to mind who ended their playing careers with strong play but a weak team. It doesn’t damage the legacy as you would think. Steph Curry is still the greatest shooter we have ever seen, and the stats will forever back him up.
I’m not here to answer these questions. I’m just here to ask them out loud. Better basketball minds than me will have to figure out these problems before the Warriors develop another thing in common with the dynastic Chicago Bulls—the post-dynasty fall.
Photo Credit for featured cover image: Getty Images.
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