At 18-22 on the season, the Warriors are far from what you’d expect a championship team to look like. Even so, head coach Steve Kerr hasn’t lost faith in his group and maintained that this is not the last chapter for this core, despite the ongoing struggles.
“All three of those guys (Step, Klay, Draymond) are capable of playing at a high level. We did win a championship, in case people forgot, a year and a half ago,” said Kerr on 95.7 The Game. “We’re in a different stage in our existence as a team… but I believe in my guys, I love those guys, and we’re going to keep fighting. “
The Warriors were at the top of the basketball world just around 18 months ago but they’ve fallen on tough times ever since winning that title. Over the past one and a half seasons, it’s been nothing but chaos for the Warriors and now times are tougher than ever with everyone across the roster struggling to fill their role.
Times Have Changed In Golden State
Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green have more than proven their worth together as 4x champions. In fact, very few teammates have been as successful as they have over the course of modern basketball history. But even despite winning a championship as recently as 2022, their downfall actually began as far back as 2019. That season, the Warriors lost in the Finals but they also lost Kevin Duant (who left in free agency) and Klay Thompson (torn ACL). In the years that followed, Golden State was able to recover somewhat by acquiring players like Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton II, both of whom helped them win their most recent championship.
Today, the situation is pretty dire. After a strong start, Stephen Curry has been struggling with his shot of late and he’s been unable to carry his team through this rough patch. Klay Thompson hasn’t been himself after a series of injuries and is far from the defender he used to be. Meanwhile, Draymond Green just recently returned to the court following a multitude of outbursts that resulted in a lengthy suspension. Until those guys get into form, the Warriors will never be as dominant as they used to be but it’s still not wise to count them out given what we know that they can do.
Warriors On The Trade Block
Historically, it’s not common for the Warriors to make a mid-season trade. But with a new GM running the show, anything is on the table for this squad. Obviously, at 12th in the West, the Warriors can use help in just about every category right now and they are expected to consider all options ahead of February’s trade deadline. At this time, potential targets could include Bruce Brown, Alex Caruso, and Pacers big man Myles Turner.
For now, it remains to be seen if the Warriors can pull off a trade here but the time is running out for them to maximize their title window. As their prized core continues to age, it’s important not to waste what’s left of these legends while they still have good basketball in them. But if things don’t turn around soon, it could start to get really ugly for the Warriors and those who thought they were immune from the NBA trade block.
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