After winning the NBA championship in June 2022, the Golden State Warriors were thought to have a great shot at winning it all again this past season.
But they were strangely inconsistent and ended up finishing with just the sixth seed in the Western Conference, which led to a loss in the second round of the playoffs to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Head coach Steve Kerr, one of the best in the business, admitted he failed in “connecting the group,” which led former NBA star Tim Hardaway Sr. to criticize him for not taking responsibility earlier.
.@HardawaySr reacts to Steve Kerr taking ownership for Warriors' struggles last season:
"You should've took ownership then, not now. If you had suspended Draymond, everything would've been okay with Jordan Poole." pic.twitter.com/XG8oPDB26d
— The Carton Show (@TheCartonShow) July 24, 2023
The season began with a much-publicized skirmish between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole during training camp, and it was a skirmish that ended with Green punching Poole.
Poole ended up receiving a big contract extension from the organization, and with Green nearing free agency, it was rumored that his days in the Bay Area were numbered.
Instead, Poole was traded for 38-year-old Chris Paul and Green got his own lucrative extension to remain with the team.
All year long, the Warriors couldn’t string together any real prosperity — they played very well at home, but they had one of the NBA’s worst records on the road, which is a recipe for an early playoff exit.
After trading Poole, who was arguably their best young player, they’re now even older, which begs the question of exactly how much they collectively have left in the tank.
Golden State should still be competitive this coming season, but perhaps their championship window is all but shut.
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