The Golden State Warriors huffed and puffed, but ultimately they were simply unable to overcome the juggernaut that is the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA play-offs.
After an heroic 50-point performance from Steph Curry in Game Seven hauled his side past the Sacramento Kings in the first round many expected the champions to carry that momentum into their Western Conference semi-final matchup with LeBron James and co.
For the first time in the Curry and Steve Kerr era, the Warriors were outclassed in every department and their consistency, which has been a hallmark of their dynasty, was severely lacking throughout the Lakers series.
Given the bust-up with Draymond Green and Jordan Poole before the season began, and a struggling road record entering as the sixth seed, it was always going to be an uphill battle for last year’s champions. As the dust settles on their first play-off series defeat outside of the NBA Finals under coach Kerr, the Warriors face some questions as they bid to rebuild after this latest setback.
Is this the end of the Warriors’ big three?
The cornerstone of the Warriors success over the past nine years has been their remarkable trio of Curry, Green and Klay Thompson. The electrifying shooting of Thompson and Curry, nicknamed the ‘Splash Brothers’ and the defensive prowess of Green at power forward galvanised the players around them and led them to four championships and two more finals appearances.
But while Curry had another stellar season from an individual standpoint averaging 29 points a game and his teammates showed their glimpses of their best, as a trio they simply did not click as they have done in previous campaigns. The future of Green is unclear as he has a $27.6 million player option and could become a free agent.
Thompson, meanwhile, is entering the final year of his contract but is eligible for an extension. There is another issue of the new collective bargaining agreement that commences July 1, which will restrict how much Golden State can improve their squad.
Given Kerr’s comments after their play-off exit about the Warriors not being a championship team this year, it seems clear he wants some changes to be made.
"To be fair, I think this team ultimately maxed out," Kerr said. "We were barely in the playoff picture most of this year. This is not a championship team. We did a pretty damn good job of finding something here over the last month. We came close to recapturing what we had, but we didn't quite get there. We didn't feel like a championship team all year, but we had the guts and the fortitude to believe."
Does the burden need to be eased on Curry?
Curry took on an even greater burden throughout the play-offs as the Warriors overcame the offensive brilliance from the Sacramento Kings. He was then tasked with not only having high scoring nights, but also facilitating and having the ball in hands the majority of the time, as he tried his utmost to get his teammates going, especially Thompson who had a poor shooting series against the Lakers. He managed just 3-of-19 from the field and 2-of-12 from the three point line in the blowout loss in game six.
Jordan Poole, who was suggested as the perfect man to bridge the gap between the Warriors veterans and the younger stars after his performances last season, struggled to provide the support Curry and the team needed. He shot just 43% from the field, 33.3% from 3-point range and was unable to create for himself and defend.
Jonathan Kuminga, who many expected would be an asset off the bench in the post season after averaging 13.2 points in 21 games after the All-Star break, only averaged 6.1 minutes per game across 10 play-off appearances.
Curry, who became only the fourth player in Warriors history to average 30+ points in a single post-season, was the only consistent threat for his team throughout the play-offs. Thought he plays like it at times, Curry is not superhuman and will need more support from his teammates if they are to challenge for the title next season.
Can the Warriors learn from the Lakers?
Like coach Kerr, Green agreed the Warriors were not in a position to win the championship this year, but is keen for their core to remain intact. "I definitely think this team maxed out," Green said. "It wasn't a championship team, this was not a championship group as it stands.
"That does not mean our core changes. That doesn't mean our core can't do it again. We are made up of champions." Given their struggles this season, they are in need of a change and perhaps the Warriors can draw inspiration from the Lakers, who transformed their season due to some inspired trades made mid-season.
The team was in desperate need of an improvement defensively and also needed to bolster their three-point shooting. The introduction of players such as D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Rui Hachimura to play alongside James, Anthony Davis and the inspired Austin Reaves, provided much needed depth to the squad.
This has allowed the Lakers to now be in the running for the championship - something far from the minds of Lakers fans at the beginning of 2023 when they were languishing outside the Play-In spots. The Warriors will need to make some shrewd trades, such as what was suggested on Fox Sports.
They made the bold suggestion of the Warriors trading the underperforming Poole and Andrew Wiggins to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Jaylen Brown and Malcolm Brogdon. "If you brought Jordan Poole and [Andrew] Wiggins in from the Warriors, Tatum would be clearly the best player," Fox host Colin Cowherd said.
"The Warriors get Jaylen Brown and Malcolm Brogdon off the bench so you get great bench scoring, potentially, and you get a much better defensive player next to Steph [Curry] so you wouldn't have to rely on Gary Payton as much.
"Jaylen Brown is perfect for the Warriors and they get Brogdon off the bench.” While this could work for the Warriors, it is unlikely the Celtics would agree, but moving creatively in the off-season will be required to significantly boost their squad and propel the Warriors back to the top of the Western Conference and contending for a championship.
