The Golden State Warriorshave been through hell to start the season. Steve Kerr’s team has struggled to close out games, and they don’t look like the perennial NBA championship contender they’ve been over the better part of a decade.
That has fueled plenty of speculation about potential moves. Coach Kerr has been reluctant to give the younger players a longer leash, although he might not have a choice now that Draymond Green will be suspended indefinitely until he meets certain criteria.
Green has been on the shelf often this season, and that hasn’t usually translated into winning basketball. This prolongued absence will force the coaching staff and the front office to consider all their options.
With that in mind, Warriors’ new GM, Mike Dunleavy Jr., wanted to clear the air on their current stance, stating that they still firmly believe in this team’s ability to get the job done.
Stephen Curry frustrated during a Golden State Warriors’ game.
Warriors Like Their Team, But Are Open To Trades
“Yeah, I do; I do believe this whole roster does, as the way it was designed,“ Dunleavy told Tim Kawakami on his podcast. “We certainly believed that, whatever it was, eight weeks ago, when we started the season. Some things haven’t broken our way. But these things change quickly. We get everybody rowing in the right direction: I think it’s doable.“
Nonetheless, Dunleavy Jr. did admit that it’s a long season and anything can change. So, the Warriors won’t hesitate to make a move if they think they can actually get better now:
“But hey, six weeks from now, the (Feb. 8) trade deadline, maybe something comes up that makes more sense and we do something. But this is a group that the core guys have been there are capable of doing it,” Dunleavy continued.
They Need To Compete Without Draymond
Not having Draymond Green’s basketball IQ and defense will be a major blow for this team. Nonetheless, it’ll also give the front office and coaching staff a chance to assess where they truly are, not to mention the team could rally together and finally mesh for when Green is eligible to return:
Draymond Green with the Warriors
“If we can do well without him, I’m confident we can do great with him,” Dunleavy said. “And that’ll be part of the evaluation. And look, it times out pretty well over this next stage. We’re going to have a good idea of where we’re going to be in the standings, in the playoff race as it leads up to the trade deadline. And the trade deadline is probably when you’re going to have your best offers, your best deals available and all that.”
They Won’t Blow Up The Roster
Even if the Warriors wind up making several moves, they don’t intend to blow things up and just sit and wait around for next season, as they don’t want to waste a year of Stephen Curry’s prime:
“I don’t see that happening right now, especially with the way Steph Curry’s playing,” Dunleavy said. “He’s still at an elite level. He’s proven that he can win championships when you put the right players around him.”
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Kendrick Perkins urges Stephen Curry to leave the Warriors
Even so, the fans can now rest assured that the front office won’t sleep on their laurels. They’ll consider all their options and will look to make some moves to compete now, not in the future.
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