Warriors Wrap-up

When a team is 43-9 you would think that the team is complete by looking at the record at face value. Then if you continue to dig deeper and you saw that the same team has the number 1 ranked defense and number 2 ranked offense you would further assume that there are no holes in the roster. Well it surprises me to have to say this but it seems as if a lot of Golden State Warrior fans are upset their team didn't make any moves at the trade deadline. If you fall into the category mentioned in the previous sentence then just repeat 43-9 until it sinks in on how great of a record that is. With all the jargon going around I thought this would be a good time to cover what little weaknesses they do have and why trying to make a trade to cover them would not make any sense. 

The first of these issues on this short list start with the health of the frontcourt. Center Andrew Bogut's history of being injured is long and was untimely last year in the playoffs. People only seem to recognize his talents as a defensive anchor but he means a lot more to the team than just that. His sturdy screens and superb passing skill keeps the half court offense flowing as well. With all these factors considered it is pertinent that an injury does not hamper them again. This would be less of an issue if their backup center had not been hurt for most of the past two years as well. Festus Ezeli has similar positive qualities on the defensive end as a good rim protector with nice size and a strong build. David Lee has also had some bad luck the last couple of years but other than that has proven to be rather durable. 

Because of these obvious issues, many wanted the Warriors to make a move for a center in case there is another injury to Bogut. On paper that makes sense but what defensive centers were available that could come in mid season and be accustomed to what the Warriors want to accomplish on the floor? Someone of that caliber requires size, toughness, a high basketball IQ, must be able to set good screens, and most importantly, not mess up the chemistry that got them in such good standing already. No one on the trade market really fits that bill. Centers are a scarcity in this league so finding an adequate one is incredibly difficult. Ezeli already possesses most of those qualities so the player that's desired is technically already on the roster and just needs to get healthy. Why trade for something you already have? 

Furthermore, what assets do the Warriors have to trade that they are willing to give up? Pieces like Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, Marreese Speights, and Shaun Livingston would draw interest but the Warriors would not want to part with any of them since they all play pivotal roles. People also want the Warriors to unload on David Lee's hefty contract so that they could extend Green in the summer but that's easier said than done. Finding a team with cap space, yet still wants to take on an expensive contract is hard. Plus Lee is the most consistent offensive player coming off the bench right now, so he's too important to get rid of just yet. 

Steve Kerr and his coaching staff have done an astounding job of capitalizing on every player's specialities by implementing an offense that relies heavily on player and ball movement, a fast pace, and team chemistry. A trade runs the risk of ruining all of that.

Aside from just fitting roster pieces together we have to look at the financial situation the Warriors find themselves in. Currently it does not look very pretty with the eight figure/year contracts owed to Andrew Bogut, Andre Iguodala, and David Lee. Curry also has a pretty big one himself that's close to approaching ten million dollars. Klay Thompson recently signed an extension that gives him an average salary of seventeen and a half million dollars a year for the next four seasons too. Then consider the money that will be needed to extend key pieces like Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green. Adding another player to the payroll will just make it that much harder on owner Joe Lacob, who already has to cut out extra checks to cover the luxury taxes. Tightening the payroll now also limits what you can do with future assets. If Golden State just spends and spends and spends they would have to trade away future draft picks or cut players they don't want to. The cons greatly outweighs the pro so overall, making a trade this season makes absolutely no sense in any way. 

The only other weakness I found is Golden State's free throw shooting. It is not recognized as much because of the Splash Brothers but apart from those two sharpshooters, the work from the charity stripe is deficient. This need was never addressed nor did it need to be. It's quite minor if you consider the fact that their offense is second in the league and that their top two scorers excel in that department. Come playoff time this may have to be addressed in closing situations but it has not proven to be too big of a problem over the course of the regular season as of yet.  

And again, if this article does not prove my point to you: 43-9, 43-9, 43-9.

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