The Golden State Warriors head into the unofficial second half of the NBA season at a mere 27-26. They are the 10th seed in the Western Conference and five games out of avoiding the dreaded Play-In Tournament.
Since winning the championship in June of 2022, Golden State has pretty much been a mediocre team.
Despite this, new general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. did not do anything ahead of the NBA trade deadline earlier this month. The Warriors were not going to part with young forward Jonathan Kuminga in any trade.
Even if it meant the core three of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green not competing for a title, the Warriors’ roster approach was clear.
This dates all the way back to the 2020 NBA Draft when Golden State selected James Wiseman with the second pick rather than moving the selection for proven talent. One year later, and the Warriors spent two lottery picks on youngsters in that of the aforementioned Kuminga as well as Moses Moody.
According to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes, the Warriors’ two-timeline approach was seen as a sign of the “organization’s arrogance.” How could they blend this young talent with a dynastic core three and still compete for a title?
“These rich dudes all think they have the magic touch. Most get humbled by losing early in their ownership tenure. Joe Lacob came in with the same attitude and then won everything for 10 years. So it’s understandable he thinks he can do no wrong.”
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The very same report from Holmes indicates that certain members of the Warriors’ organization were not sold on what they were attempting to do.
Once Golden State won the fourth championship of its dynastic run back in June of 2022, another layer was added to this. Wiseman played sparingly before being dealt to the Detroit Pistons a season later. Depite being seen as an elite-level young talent, Kuminga rarely found himself as a part of the rotation.
“We could have drafted more ready players that maybe had a lower ceiling. We thought we had more time with our Big Three. How much more? We didn’t know. And at what level? We weren’t quite sure.
“Now, melding them in with the Big Three, that’s where I think it got complicated.”
Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob
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Things could be coming together for Golden State at the right time
Steve Kerr’s squad heads into Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers having won eight out of 10 outings. Kuminga is finally playing a big role for the team, continuing to show that he’s a star in the making. He’s averaging 18.2 points and 5.8 rebounds on 56% shooting from the field over the past 32 games.
Rookie first-round pick Brandin Podziemski is playing at an all-around great level (9.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.9 APG, 39% 3-point shooting).
Meanwhile, Stephen Curry remains one of the best players in the game and Draymond Green has rebounded big time after two suspensions earlier in the season.
This is highly unlikely to lead to championship contention moving forward on the season. What we do know is that the two-timeline approach now has Golden State with a handful of young players making an impact.