The Golden State Warriors returned to the playoffs and very nearly took out the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs. Can this team merely sustain what it did last season on its way to a potential third straight trip to the postseason?
What Went Wrong Last Season?
The Warriors have had the same basic problem the past few seasons: Andrew Bogut, their strong defensive center who is very adept at blocking shots and getting rebounds, was injured for too much of the season. Bogut’s defense, when it’s available and can be counted on, makes such a huge difference for Golden State because it balances out the Warriors’ offense-heavy look. Golden State is known for the “Splash Brothers,” the long-distance-gunning tandem of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, a duo the Warriors did not want to split up in the offseason. The organization said it would rather have kept Curry and Thompson together than ship Thompson to the Timberwolves in a deal for Kevin Love.
Though the strategy was questioned in many circles, sticking with their backcourt duo was the move the Warriors felt they needed to make. With the team leaning on three-point shooting and a fast-paced game, Bogut was the player the Warriors needed to protect the rim and provide all the benefits the roster generally lacked elsewhere. However, with Bogut continuing to labor through injuries, the setup just wasn’t right for the Warriors, and as a result, they got the same number six playoff seed in the West that they grabbed the year before. In the 2013 season, the Warriors snuck up on everyone to get that sixth seed. In 2014, they received everyone’s best shot, so in a certain way, this past season was more impressive. On the other hand, the Warriors created expectations with their 2013 run, so when they were knocked out of the playoffs one round earlier in 2014, the season felt like a disappointment. The stacked Western Conference, though, didn’t allow for a much higher ceiling and The Warriors did the best they could under the circumstances.
Offseason Changes
The Warriors didn’t go for the big Thompson-for-Love trade, so their offseason moves were on the margins as far as players were concerned. They got Brandon Rush and Steve Blake here, and the picked up Shaun Livingston (from Brooklyn) and Leandro Barbosa over there. They signed Aaron Craft, James Michael McAdoo, and Mitchell Watt as free agents (Craft and McAdoo undrafted, Watt a player who has played pro ball for two years in Israel). The big move with the Warriors in the offseason was the exchange of one television analyst for another. Mark Jackson was kicked out after two highly productive seasons. Warriors management wanted a change of style and approach, so Jackson was gone despite resurrecting the franchise. He went to ESPN for the Eastern Conference Finals. former player turned television analyst Steve Kerr went to the coaching profession after having no prior experience, as had been the case with Jackson when he took the Golden State job a few years ago.
Projected Finish
The Warriors messed with a good thing. Maybe Kerr will be able to fit right in as a coach and get the most out of this team, but the Warriors played hard for Jackson, and now they’re having to adjust to another system even though they did well with Jackson in charge. This seems like a situation that’s going to collapse on Golden State, but if the Warriors make the playoffs, it certainly won’t be a surprise in light of all the talent they have. Yet, the West is so deep that even a slight drop-off could mean a non-playoff season in Oakland.
Pick: Ninth in Western Conference
