The Golden State Warriors will be facing a tough Western Conference this season and will rely on another stellar performance from Steph Curry to go the distance.
While the Warriors missed out on trading for Paul George in the offseason, they did acquire De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, and Buddy Hield. These additions may not be game-changers, but the team is confident in the moves they’ve made.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe doesn’t share the Warriors’ optimism. On NBA Today this week, Lowe argued that the Warriors need a major, game-changing move to return to championship contention.
“It will take a home run, a stroke of luck—something like the Spurs drafting Kawhi Leonard late in Tim Duncan’s career,” Lowe said on ESPN. “This is what happens with legendary players who stay with one team. You win a lot, but while you’re doing that, you’re drafting late in the first round, so you’re unlikely to land any stars.”
Lowe continued, “As the core ages, it becomes difficult to transition from old to great again while the veterans are still playing. They’re a solid team, a deep team in the Western Conference. They could win a playoff round, maybe even two if things go their way. But they’re not true contenders.”
Despite this tough assessment for Curry and the Warriors, Lowe also mentioned that Golden State might not be completely out of the picture just yet.
Lowe clarified, “This isn’t a criticism of Steph or necessarily poor management, although they probably wish they could redo the James Wiseman pick. They’ll continue searching for stars, like they did with Paul George and Lauri Markkanen. They have tradeable picks, so they’re not finished yet, but it’s going to take a big, game-changing move to return to the top.”
The Warriors still have more than a month before the regular season begins, giving them time to explore potential moves to strengthen their roster. They’re hopeful that an opportunity will arise to improve the team before the season tips off.
