Warriors have a bright future ahead despite playoff elimination
By Dalton Sell
The Golden State Warriors have officially been eliminated from playoff contention this season, but the future still looks bright.
After five straight trips to the NBA Finals and three NBA Championships, the Golden State Warriors will find their season ending a lot sooner than they are accustomed to having.
It was only a matter of time, but the Warriors have officially been eliminated from playoff contention. The team’s latest loss to the Los Angeles Clippers was the nail in the coffin as the Warriors dropped to a league-worst 15-50 record.
This season has become an evaluation of talent for Golden State, and they do look like they have some promising pieces for the future.
Rookies Eric Paschall and Jordan Poole have been impressive as the season has progressed, big man Marquese Chriss appears as if he could be the team’s starting center moving forward, and many more players have been proving their worth nightly.
The Warriors also currently have the best odds to land the first overall draft pick in this year’s lottery, having the potential to add another big piece next year.
Whether the team is looking to keep that draft pick or flip it for another big name player remains unknown, but either sounds like a viable option.
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New addition Andrew Wiggins has been showing signs of potential since coming over in the D’Angelo Russell trade and could be the team’s answer at the small forward position.
A fresh start is just what Wiggins needed after his stint with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and playing in Golden State gives him the best opportunity to rejuvenate his career.
Perhaps, the most significant thing of all, the Warriors are going to get one of the most lethal backcourts in NBA history back on the court.
Both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have battled major injuries this season and having them healthy next season immediately lifts the team back into contention. Injuries have been the biggest obstacle for the Warriors this season and put them in a difficult place.
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Curry has only played in five games due to a broken hand, Thompson has been ruled out for the entire season after suffering a torn ACL in last year’s NBA Finals, and Draymond Green has missed 22 games for numerous reasons.
With their top three players missing significant time due to injury, things were clearly going to be difficult. While this season has been a step back compared to their previous half-decade of dominance, the Warriors could not be in a better position to contend next season.
For now, these final 17 games of the season will be challenging to get through, but thinking about the future makes it that much easier. What this team has been able to accomplish at full strength is well known, and sensational to say the least.
The Warriors will now miss the postseason for the first time since the 2011-12 NBA season but expect them to jump right back into the mix next season atop the best in the Western Conference.
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This team has all of the right tools to make a big splash heading into the 2020-21 season, and are a significant team to watch out for.