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For nearly a decade, the Golden State Warriors have dominated the NBA. Led by the core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, the Warriors have reached the NBA Finals six times in the last eight years, winning four championships. The defending champions, many thought the Warriors could reach the finals again and repeat as 2023 NBA champions. But at the time of this writing, it looks like the Warriors dynasty of the last decade may be crumbling in front of the NBA world. As of Wednesday, the Warriors are down 2-0 against the young and hungry Sacramento Kings in their 3/6 first-round playoff matchup.
Heading into game three in San Francisco on Thursday, it was an absolute must-win. With Draymond being suspended following a flagrant foul in Game 2, the Warriors were missing their defensive centerpiece for Game 3. If they lose their first-round series against the Kings, this would be only the third series Golden State has lost under Head Coach Steve Kerr. The only two series the Warriors have lost in this era are the 2016 and 2019 NBA Finals.
Last night, Curry lit up the Kings for 36 points and Kevon Looney matched his career-high with 20 in the Dubs 114-97 win. It was a response worthy of a champion as Golden State knew their backs were up against the wall and they could not afford to go down 3-0 to this young Sacramento team.
No matter what happens in the 2023 playoffs, there are a lot of problems in the Warriors’ immediate future. The biggest is the new CBA adding numerous restrictions when it comes to the salary cap and luxury tax, teams like the Warriors will have a harder time spending more money than their competitors. Currently, they have the second highest payroll in the league this year and are set to have the highest next year. They will have a difficult time retaining talent. Thankfully, the Warriors will have the core locked up for next year.
Curry is signed through the 2025/26 season, and Klay and Draymond are signed through next season. Both are looking to receive max contract extensions which put the Warriors in a tough position. Playing just over 100 regular season games since his two-season injury absence, Thompson has looked like his old self. Draymond has also put up numbers similar to previous seasons but has been in the headlines all season. Starting with the leaked video of Green punching Jordan Poole in a practice, many have argued Draymond has affected the chemistry of the team.
The latest Draymond drama came in Game 2 of the Warriors’ matchup against the Kings. After stomping on Domantas Sabonis’ chest, the NBA chose to suspend Draymond for Game 3. Because of this, many have brought up Draymond’s suspension during Game 5 of the 2016 Finals, something that played into the Warriors loss in the finals. Looking at Draymond’s future, many rumors and reports suggest that he could be leaving the Warriors. Since last year, Green has been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers, with LeBron James saying he would love to play with him. Reports as recent as this week suggest the Lakers view Green as a “dream” offseason target. Losing Draymond to any team would be a hit to the Warriors as they would lose the heart and soul of their team.
No matter what happens to the Warriors this offseason, they still have Curry locked up for several more years. They also have promising young and well-paid talent in Jordan Poole and an All-Star in Andrew Wiggins. They would still be able to compete in the West but may not be able to compete at the level of the dynasty Warriors.
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