End of a Golden Era

After a decade of sheer dominance, with 4 magical championship titles tucked in their war chest, the Golden State Warriors’ fairy tale journey screeches to a jarring halt. It is the very first time for the Warriors to miss the playoffs when their deadly champion triumvirate of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are in the pink of health. And what a humbling season-ender it was. 

Relegated now to a lowly 10th in the Western Conference with a 46-36 win-loss card this regular season, the Warriors had to go through a sudden-death, win-or-go-home tiff against the upstart Sacramento Kings last Tuesday. The Kings, still smarting from a heartbreaking first round loss to the Warriors in last year’s playoffs, promptly booted them out with a totally dominating 118-94 drubbing. This, despite the absence of 2 vital cogs in the Kings’ roster: Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter.

Officially ending the Warriors’ season. 

And, in all likelihood, ending the Warriors’ proud championship era as well. 

What led to the unflattering demise of this once proud Golden State Warriors team? The most obvious reason will have to be the players themselves. Klay Thompson, one of the game’s most prolific 3-point artist, went zero for 10 and did not make a single point in that crucial game against the Kings. Andrew Wiggins, who was an all-star and was Steph Curry’s top wingman when Klay was injured a few years back, was a shell of himself. Draymond Green, their supposed defensive hub, appeared dazed under the paint. Chris Paul, another All-star who was enlisted to replace a supposed upcoming, yet problematic Jordan Poole, also couldn’t get his A-game going. Overall, the team played minus the confidence and the flair of the champion they once were.  

Which leads us to 2 other points. Coach Steve Kerr appeared to have taken too many missteps as a bench tactician this season. Except for the last 10 games of the season when the Warriors played catch up for the playoffs, it seemed like he just could not find the right chemistry, the correct mix for the team. Of course, he also had to deal with other factors including injuries and Draymond’s intermittent absence due to his suspensions. And finally, the team’s glaring lack of bench depth. The lack of a legitimate center to clog the shaded lane in particular needs to be highlighted as a major reason behind the team’s fast fall from grace. 

There you have it. The waning skills of an aging team (meaning: players), the lack of team chemistry (read: coach), the shallow bench (point to: management). Add to that the huge payroll (again: management). There had been clear indications of the powerhouse team slowly fading months earlier (pls read: Is the Golden State Dynasty Over?), and their elimination from the playoffs simply confirms these issues.

Hence, the writing is on the wall. The Warriors’ dynasty is finally over. Klay will now be a free agent, with no indication that the team will afford him a fat contract. The volatile Draymond still has 2 years in his contract, but his unpredictable character is such an irritant, it is reportedly causing too much tension among the new faces in the team. With Steph Curry now reaching 36 years of age, the Big 3 (plus Paul and Wiggins) appear to be in the tail-end of their once-glitzy careers. And guys like Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and others are silently praying for their chance to hit the spotlights. Failing that, they could opt for less Golden, but greener pastures.

That said, what’s the Golden State Warriors to do next? Will they stay with their tried and tested, but obviously deteriorating Big 3? Or will they blow it up, and take a bold step into a developmental future? Your guess is as good as mine.

Cover photo courtesy of NBA.com. Other photos courtesy of Sir Charles in Charge, NBA.com, Monterey Herald, The Athletic and the San Francisco Chronicle. For a closer look, just click on the pics.