The Golden State Warriors are currently the worst placed team in the NBA standings as of December 22, this lack of winning and promise comes just months after their trip to the NBA finals. Coming into the season, the Warriors didn’t have many expectations with their lack of depth and Warriors all star guard Klay Thompson being out with an injury for the whole season, but they were still expected to make the playoffs as a late seed and Warriors star Stephen Curry was expected to have an MVP like season. The Warriors were struggling throughout the first four games of the season even with Stephen Curry, but once Curry suffered a hand injury, the Warriors chances of making the playoffs were lost. Now that the Warriors went from the consensus team to beat, to a bottom feeding team in the West, how does the Warriors future look?
The Warriors currently own their own 2020 first round draft pick which has a 14 percent chance of turning into the number one overall pick, as well as having a 54 percent chance of being a top 4 pick in the draft. This Golden State Warriors draft pick is the key to the Warriors turn around. It’s no secret that the Warriors are tanking and purposely trying to lose games so their draft pick can be more valuable and have a higher chance at being the first overall pick. The Warriors have lots of options with this first round draft pick. If the Warriors decide to draft a rookie with their pick, the most viable option would be drafting James Wiseman, a center out of Memphis who is projected to go first overall in the 2020 NBA draft. Drafting Wiseman would compliment the Warriors lack of center depth and size, as well as setting them up for the future after the Stephen Curry era ends in Golden State. The main concern with drafting Wiseman would be how he would fit in the Warriors system and how much of an impact he can make as a rookie. Can Wiseman potentially be a starting center on a championship contending team? He definitely has the frame and talent to do so but typically centers take a couple seasons to adjust to NBA defences as well as staying out of foul trouble which may be an issue for Wiseman early on in his career. The Warriors are also known for their spacing and revolutionizing the small ball style of basketball, so how would James Wiseman fit in the Warriors system?
If the Warriors decide not to draft a rookie with their first round pick, they can opt into trading the pick and getting players who can help them immediately and go all in, without worrying about the longevity of the roster. If the Warriors continue to lose games, their draft pick can become a very valuable trade piece and draw interest from many NBA teams. The Warriors main concern has been their lack of depth. Every championship team needs good role players to relieve their star players, step into their given role and play solid in limited minutes and usage. During the 2015-2016 season, the same season the Golden State Warriors went 73-9, the Warriors had Harrison Barnes who could space the floor, score in the catch and shoot and provide some valuable depth scoring, they also had Andre Iguodala who provided great defence to neutralize the athletic wings of the opposing teams as well as having Andrew Bogut who provided shot blocking, rebounding, and a defensive presence in the paint. This Warriors team didn’t have amazing depth, but they had players that could play their roles and play solid in limited minutes and ultimately contribute to a historic team. All of the Warriors depth from their 73-9 season is no longer with the team. A big reason for the Warriors decline this season has been their lack of depth when Stephen Curry is out with an injury. The Warriors do have D’Angelo Russell to take a high amount of their shots, but after Russell, this team is filled with a bunch of young inexperienced players. This Warriors team is giving unproven players like Damion Lee, Ky Bowman, Jordan Poole and Glen Robinson III lots of minutes and oppurinity to put up numbers. They have found some diamonds in the rough with Alec Burks and rookie Eric Paschall but other than these players, I don’t see any lasting depth on this team that can contribute a high production on a championship contending team. The Warriors could use this pick to trade for some valuable depth and role players to support their core of Curry, Klay, Draymond, and D’Angelo Russell and push their team over the top.
During the 2019 NBA offseason, the Warriors pulled off a sign in trade in which they acquired 23 year old all star guard D’Angelo Russell. Russell was labeled as a seamless fit in the Warriors system playing next to Stephen Curry due to Russell’s shooting and shot creation ability. When Steph and D’Angelo were on the court together, the Warriors were 1-3 with Russell averaging 16 points and 6 assists per game with inefficient shooting from the field and from three point range. As for Steph, before his hand injury, he was averaging 20 points and 6.5 assists per game while shooting only 24 percent from 3 point range. Obviously four games is a small sample size for two ball dominant players who have never played with each other before to gel together and learn to play with each other. D’Angelo Russell has potential to be a great fit alongside Curry but the reason Russell’s future with the Warriors is unclear is his role on this Golden State team. D’Angelo Russell has proven to be a first scoring option on a playoff team during his time in Brooklyn, and I have no doubt D’Angelo could thrive as a second option on a playoff team, but once Klay Thompson returns from his injury, D’Angelo’s role would be significantly diminished. He would become their third scoring option behind Steph and Klay, as well as becoming their secondary ball handler behind Curry. Once Klay returns, the Warriors simply don’t have a high need for Russell and could use his high value to acquire a player that mathces a team need like a lengthy perimeter defender who can space the floor as well as a key bench piece. If the Warriors want to maximize their assets value, they can package their first round pick with D’Angelo Russell to get a high return which can bring them back to contention. Some rumoured teams to potentially make a trade for D’Angelo Russell include the Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns to name a few.
If the Warriors trade Russell and their first rounder for depth to help raise their title odds, they can re establish themselves as one of the scariest teams to matchup against in the west. Once Curry and Klay come back from injury, they can return to their success they’ve previously accomplished. You have to remember that when the Warriors went 73-9 during the 2015-2016 season, they had a core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green who are all still on the roster. Overall the Warriors may be going through a rough patch right now, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel if management makes the right moves for this team to contend once again.
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