The Western Conference this year is definitely competitive, no matter what matchup you watch. There are younger teams such as the Memphis Grizzlies and the New Orleans Pelicans that are looking to assert themselves, and some veteran teams such as the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers, who are looking to make deep runs in the playoffs.
Due to the talent level and competition in the Western Conference this season, it is unclear which teams are going to make and miss the playoffs this year. In a recent Tweet, Paul Pierce named a number of teams that are playoff locks, but notably excluded the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Phx Mem Den DAL NOP POR LAC I believe are locks for playoffs , who do y’all have for 8th seed and who r y’all locks for playoffs in western conference
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) November 17, 2022
Phx Mem Den DAL NOP POR LAC I believe are locks for playoffs , who do y’all have for 8th seed and who r y’all locks for playoffs in western conference
It is easy to see why Paul Pierce thinks the Lakers and the Warriors could miss the playoffs. The Lakers had a poor start this season, only having a 3-10 record after 13 games. The Warriors have also struggled, and are currently 6-9, despite winning the championship in 2022.
Obviously, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors could both improve throughout the season and get back to the playoffs. Both teams have some ability to make trades, and we’ll see what moves they execute ahead of the trade deadline.
Stephen A. Smith Thinks The Warriors Need To Trade For Kevin Durant
The Golden State Warriors struggling this early in the season is particularly shocking, especially because they were just in the Finals last season, and seemed primed to repeat. Part of the struggle was due to their young players being unable to step up and fill rotational roles. Stephen A. Smith has suggested that a solution to the Warriors’ problem could be a trade for Kevin Durant.
“They didn’t come into the season aiming to rebuild. They expected Klay to be better. They expected Wiseman to be ready. They expected Moody and Kuminga to be ready. So now that we see there are some question marks about that, it’s a legitimate question to ask now. Their attitude was ‘we are the reigning, defending, champions and we believe we got a chance to repeat with our squad. They believed in their squad. Now if you have changed and no longer believe in some of those young guys, go ahead and make the trade for Kevin Durant. Go ahead and make the trade for Kevin Durant because you can’t waste the greatness of Steph Curry. If you don’t believe these young brothers can be ready to help you repeat, make a move.”
The Golden State Warriors notably won two titles with Kevin Durant, and he was a Finals MVP during both of those title runs. Kevin Durant was notably considered the best player on those title-winning teams by the public.
It remains to be seen if the Golden State Warriors will end up making a trade, or whether they will hope for internal improvement and development from their young players. Either way, the improvement needs to come relatively soon. Otherwise, they could be at risk of missing out on the playoffs.
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