What’s left of the Golden State Warriors?

The current state of the Golden State Warriors. Scott Jay Abraham

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The Golden State Warriors had one of the most dominating performances in the last few years, garnering three championships out of the five appearances the team has had in the finals in the last five years. But, looking at the standings today, one would think that something has gone terribly wrong as the Warriors are dead last in the entire league. What happened to the Warriors was a series of unfortunate events that simply piled up.

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Even after the team gained three championship wins in the last five years, Coach Steve Kerr believes that the Warriors still has a lot to learn and the opportunity for growth is there. Unfortunately, the team’s quest to boost their roster through acquisition of talents didn’t continue for very long. After losing the championship to the Toronto Raptors, several changes have been made to the Golden State lineup. Scott Jay Abraham.

For instance, Kevin Durant made the decision to take his basketball somewhere else and play for the Brooklyn Nets. While the core trio that built the Golden State dynasty was still around when the season began, Durant’s absence was felt on the court and in how the team played. The team was then hounded by several injuries early into the season. Klay Thompson underwent an off-season knee injury while Steph Curry broke his left hand early into the season. Scott Jay Abraham.

As of this writing, the Warriors are 4 – 18, putting them dead-last in the western conference where LeBron and the Lakers are reigning with an 18 – 3 record so far. According to Scott Jay Abraham, it is not too late for the rest of the Warriors to rally. However, with the absence of their core lineup, the chances of them even reaching the playoffs this year is practically non-existent. Scott Jay Abraham.

Are the Warriors still an NBA title contender?

2019-20 Warriors forecast — Scott Jay Abraham

Fans should begin to accept the reality that this new-look Warriors team has changed from being preseason title contenders to a mere playoffs hopeful. Sure, Steph Curry is still here, but the departures of key players (as well as the injury to Klay) essentially equates to a rebuild. Scott Jay Abraham.

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Gone are the glory days of the so-called Hamptons Five, with Kevin Durant moving the Brooklyn and the trading of Andre Iguodala to Memphis. Even the center position is weak with only Kevon Looney manning the paint. The good news is that Draymond Green got his extension and the team picked up all-star guard D’Angelo Russell on a sign-and-trade. Scott Jay Abraham.

When you really think about it, majority of the backup players who played quality minutes to offset the tired starters most of last season are also gone; apart from Boogie Cousins, the Warriors also let go of Jonas Jerebko, Shaun Livingston, Jordan Bell, and Quinn Cook. It remains to be seen what new acquisitions Willie Cauley-Stein, Glenn Robinson III, and Alec Burks will bring to the team. Scott Jay Abraham.

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With the bolstered lineup of the Clippers, Rockets, and Lakers, it’s hard to even safely put the Warriors in the top five teams in the West. The Dubs will struggle even in the first round of the playoffs should they face any of these teams. The now-more-experienced and basically unchanged (lineup-wise) Nuggets, Jazz, and Trailblazers are also no pushovers. Scott Jay Abraham.

The silver lining here is that Klay should be back just in time for a postseason push, should Golden State still be in contention by then. In the meantime, here’s hoping Steph and the rest of the starters can synergize well with one another and their youngish bench. Scott Jay Abraham.

Teams that could rival the Warriors this NBA season

The Warriors are off to another great start this season, punctuated by highlight performances by Durant, Curry, and Thompson who had a 52-point, 14-three, record-breaking output versus the Bulls. Right now, Golden State is sitting comfortably atop the Western Conference, with a league-leading 8-1 record, their only defeat coming at the hands of the Nuggets on a last-second block.

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Even this early, many teams on both conferences have shown significant improvement. The list includes the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Philly 76ers, Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans, and the Portland Trailblazers. Surprisingly playing sub-par are the deemed second-seeded Rockets, the new-look Lakers with LeBron, and Westbrook’s OKC.

Among these teams, we can still say that the Lakers are going to be a problem, even if LeBron and company are not faring so well lately. When they adjust, and if they make it to the playoffs, they should be a dangerous opponent for any team in the West. After all, LeBron-led teams have made it to the Finals in consecutive years. But if they are to match well with the Warriors, they’d need to drastically improve their defense.

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The Nuggets and the Trailblazers are solid contenders as well, especially with continuity and improved team play. Anthony Davis’ Pelicans are always dangerous, too. And if the Rockets get their swagger back, they could drag the Warriors into a shooting duel.

But the main threat is still Boston in the East, this year boasting of a complete lineup with Hayward and Irving healthy. While Leonard’s Raptors and Antetokounmpo’s Bucks are doing well to start the season, the sheer depth of the Celtics should still make them the Warriors’ top rival going into the postseason.

Hello, my name’s Scott Jay Abraham, an industrial interior designer based in San Francisco, California. During my free time, I love to take my dog Shadow on long walks as well as watch games of the Golden State Warriors. More on my hobbies and interests here.