Is The Golden State Warriors’ Dynasty Over?

Things are not looking good for the Golden State Warriors these days. With an 18-20 win-loss mark as of this writing, the once-proud Warriors are mired in 12th spot in the talent-heavy Western Conference of the NBA. This is well outside the magic 6 which will get automatic slots in the playoffs, but within range of the 7th to 10th positions, which will vie for play-in slots prior to the playoffs. And many doomsayers are saying that this could mark the ominous end of the Warriors’ decade of glory.

The Warriors’ woes this season have been numerous; chief of which, of course, is the Draymond Green fiasco. Green’s suspension due to the many infractions he has incurred early in the season, and ultimately, his absence being the defense catalyst for the team, has driven the team to experiment with different line-ups, upsetting the normal roster rotation that coach Steve Kerr uses. Green, by his own admission, has cost the team much with his hot-headed antics, but now he has vowed to return with ‘a huge sense of urgency’.

On top of the Draymond circus, there’s also the fact that Klay Thompson has been experiencing more off nights as the second best gunner for the Warriors, next only to his prolific Splash Bro tandem, Steph Curry. Klay’s firepower is needed immensely if the team is to blaze a trail to the top once again. It will be recalled that the team was nowhere in contention when Klay was injured and absent for a span of 2 seasons in 2020 to 21. But once Klay reappeared for the 2022 season, it was like night and day as the Warriors suddenly zoomed back, clinching their 4th and last crown in the process.

Aside from Draymond’s forced absence and Klay’s declining offense, there’s Andrew Wiggins’ deteriorating game as well. Something continues to bother Wiggs mentally, and it shows in his lack of contribution to the Warriors’ offense and defense.

There’s also the slew of injuries that have sidelined Chris Paul, Gary Payton and Mark Moody recently. Plus some contractual issues that tend to create mental problems that manifest in the playing field.

And then, there are also concerns raised over Steve Kerr’s questionable coaching decisions lately. It seems that he has not been up to par as a veteran coach these days. This started when he coached the under-achieving Team USA in the FIBA World Cup in Manila, where he was outcoached by his European counterparts, up to the recent games in the first half of the NBA’s 2024 regular season.

Hence, after a decade of brilliant basketball where the Warriors snared its 4 incredible NBA titles, it is the anemic offense, the oftentimes atrocious defense, the injuries, the super-thin bench, the questions second-guessing the coach’s decisions, etc – all these point to a dynasty slowly floundering.

Is the magic ride really over? Some say this was the reason why former GM Bob Myers decided to leave. Bob states politely that he left because he could no longer provide 100% commitment to the job, but many believe there is more to it than that.

Still, the team potential to be champions remains. If the team can get their concerns addressed, this team still has got what it takes to get to the playoffs, and maybe farther. If Draymond is able to get his focus back on the game as opposed to demonstrating before everyone who’s the big bad wolf; if Klay gets his shooting touch back; if Wiggins’ confidence returns; if Chris, Gary and Moody get healthy in time for the last quarter of the season; if the title-proven triumvirate of Curry, Thompson and Green gets humming once again, with an equally-dangerous back-up team that includes Chris Paul, Wiggs, Jonathan Kuminga, Payton and Moody, plus add in some reinforcements for the shallow frontcourt. All these ifs will play a big part in the Warriors’ chances of reaching the playoffs this year.

Some fans have openly suggested that it could be time to blow up the core in preparation for a new iteration of the team. There are pervading rumors of impending trades to retool the team. But the Warriors are certainly not over the hill yet. They are certainly still in the thick of it. They just need to regain their pride, up their competitive intensity on both ends of the court, stay focused on the job at hand, and all will be well. Check out all the ifs above, and voila, the Warriors’ legion of fans can rejoice once again.

Cover photo courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle. Other photos courtesy of Star Tribune, Facebook, Business Insider, NBC sports Bay Area, Union Democrat, Mercury News, The New Yorker, AP News, USA TODAY.