Despite the Downtrodden Season “Brighter Days” are Ahead

by Kyle Molinelli · April 17, 2020

By Nikko Weathers

The past five years the world has seen one of the greatest dynasties of all time changing the game in front of our very eyes. Playing up tempo, sharpshooting, undersized, team and pass first style took the league by storm. Now missing Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and the departure of arguably the best player in the league Kevin Durant, this has been one of the worst seasons in Golden State franchise history.

Five straight seasons in the NBA Finals has put a tax on everyone’s bodies and with the subtraction of Durant and the injury to Thompson, the Warriors were in limbo going into this season due to every other team improving while they were on the decline. With the departure of Durant the Warriors made more questionable signings to try and fill the void that Durant left. Leading them to signing an alternate All-Star D’Angelo Russell, who had a career year with the Brooklyn Nets, and the signing of Willie Cauley-Stein an interior defender. These two signings made the fans and experts question which direction they were trying to go in.

With the injury to superstar Curry, the Warriors struggled to accumulate wins and they needed a variety of pieces to help get back to their playoff expectations. The league knew that the Russell signing was trade bait, which it ended up being around the trade deadline. On Feb 6, 2020 the Warriors shipped Russell to Minnesota for an underachieving Andrew Wiggins in a trade that also awarded the Warriors a 2021 first round pick and a 2021 second round pick. The Warriors hope that Wiggins can have the same impact that Harrison Barnes, had on the team that went 73-9.

With the Warriors having the worst record in the NBA at 15-50 they are sitting atop of the rankings for the number one pick in the draft. Which could be moved for more pieces. With the core still intact and a healthy rested team for next season, a bunch of draft capital, and a top tier coaching staff, there is no reason that the Warriors won’t return to their old standards.