Sir Charles in Charge
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The Warriors will be contenders before we know it again

By Alexander Knauer

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 05: Stephen Curry #30 talks to Damion Lee #1 of the Golden State Warriors after Lee missed two free throws in the final minute of their loss to the Toronto Raptors at Chase Center on March 05, 2020 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 05: Stephen Curry #30 talks to Damion Lee #1 of the Golden State Warriors after Lee missed two free throws in the final minute of their loss to the Toronto Raptors at Chase Center on March 05, 2020 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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NBA Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry ( Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

After the loss of Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson due to injuries, how can the Golden State Warriors return to their former strength?

While we cannot tell when and if we will see playoff basketball this year, let’s rewind a bit and look back at the end of the latest NBA Finals in which the Toronto Raptors prevailed against the Golden State Warriors and won their first-ever NBA championship with Kawhi Leonard.

With the loss of this series, it felt like more was over than just another NBA season. After half a decade of domination, the Warriors looked beat for good.

Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson both suffered injuries in the Finals that would force them to miss the 2019/2020 season, Kevon Looney was barely able to play and the Free Agency of Kevin Durant loomed over Dub Nation.

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But the Warriors wouldn’t have been able to stay on top as long as they did without an exceptional front office. When Kevin Durant decided he would join the Nets alongside Kyrie Irving, the Warriors were able to acquire All-Star Guard D’Angelo Russell from Brooklyn to replace one star with another.

While Russell was not going to be able to play on the level that Durant did, it seemed as if the Warriors were able to go to the playoffs yet again without Klay Thompson. But expectations suddenly changed when Steph Curry suffered an injury early into the season, leaving the Warriors with a roster without star power and depth and forcing them to tank the season.

While D’Angelo Russell served the team well without Curry and Thompson and gave them some offensive firepower, his fit alongside them was questionable. A lineup that included all three of them would be undersized in today’s NBA and attackable on the perimeter, with Curry and Russell being average at best at that end of the floor.

So, when the opportunity arose on trade-deadline day 2020, the Warriors traded D’Angelo Russell to the Minnesota Timberwolves and received Andrew Wiggins, first pick of the 2014 NBA Draft. Even though Wiggins did not meet expectations in Minnesota, he appears to be a more natural fit for the Warriors going forward.

Wiggins is not the lockdown defender people thought he could be when he entered the NBA, but he will provide the Warriors with many things on that end that Russell couldn’t. With him, the Warriors can continue to hide Curry on one of the opponents’ weaker perimeter players while allowing Thompson to remain the shooting guard.

On offense, the Warriors can return to their pre-Durant style of play with which, in case you forgot, they won more regular-season games than any team in NBA history in 2016. In this system, Wiggins could act as a replacement for Harisson Barnes, who was a big contributor for those Warriors teams.

Now, Barnes and Wiggins have not been very similar players in the past, but they have also not been in comparable situations. Wiggins was misused as a facilitator and scorer in Minnesota, which does not seem to be the ideal role for him in the NBA.

Wiggins has shown potential on the defensive end of the floor and played the best defense of his career in his short time in Golden State so far. We can also expect his role on offense to become smaller as Curry and Thompson will be returning to the floor, giving him the opportunity to pay more attention to his game defensively with Draymond Green as a mentor.

We’ve seen this development oftentimes in the past, including that of Andre Igoudala when he joined the Warriors and became a vital part of their success without ever scratching the 10 points per game mark during his time with them.

Igoudala surely was a much more proven defender when he joined the Warriors than Wiggins is now, but you could argue that he was also misjudged as a scorer and facilitator in Philadelphia and Denver.

Before joining the Warriors, Igoudala had a usage rate of just under 20 percent. This number diminished to not even 12 percent in Steve Kerr‘s system. As his usage decreased, his defensive production increased and he became their so-called “Super-Sub” for years to come.

The blueprints to become a contributing small forward under Steve Kerr are right there for Andrew Wiggins. With his athleticism and physical tools, it is undeniable that there is a path for him to become a good defender on one end and an off-ball player, cutter, lob-thread and part-time ballhandler on the other end.

If Wiggins understands this and is willing to play to his strengths for a team that has been able to bring out the best in players before, he has a chance at changing the perception of himself from a bust to a winning basketball player.

Because no one can guarantee a successful outcome to Wiggins’ tenure with the Warriors, there’s a second “If” involved in this scenario. If Wiggins is unable to find himself a role within the Warriors’ system, the Warriors will still have the option to trade him in the offseason.

Due to his big contract of $29 million next season, he can be the centerpiece in any trade that involves a superstar joining Golden State. Him, the Timberwolves’ 2021 first-round pick and possibly the Warriors’ 2020 draft pick (which we will discuss in a bit) would be an intriguing package for teams looking to rebuild or trade an unhappy star in the near future.

Trade assets and depth have been two of the Warriors’ biggest problems throughout the last years, but it seems like their 2019-20 campaign might have changed that. Apart from Wiggins, their young players have been able to develop and adapt to the environment of the NBA within a stable organization, which is a luxury not many prospects in this league can relate to.

While their first-round pick of 2019, Jordan Poole, has struggled to transition to the NBA, the 41st pick of the same draft has surprised fans like few others this season. Eric Paschall is a 23-year-old power forward out of Villanova and averaged 14 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He has been one of the team’s go-to scoring options outside of Russell or Wiggins and I’m sure there’s a place for him in next year’s rotation or on the trade market.

Another young big man that impressed many this year is Marquese Chriss. Chriss was drafted eighth overall in the 2016 NBA draft but failed to meet expectations in Phoenix, Houston, and Cleveland in his first three years in the league.

As an extremely lengthy and athletic prospect, Chriss wasn’t ready for the NBA when he was drafted and seems to now have found a role in the league with the Warriors. He did not only average 9.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game but also contributed with his passing (1.9 assists) and his defense, his ability to block shots in particular.

The Warriors were able to unlock him at the center position this year, where he has played in 97 percent of his minutes for them. Contrary to that, he only spent about 17 percent of his time at the center in his first three seasons and locked over 80 percent of his minutes at power forward.

He has become much more efficient by almost eliminating the 3-point shot from his game completely. He is now getting the ball in his spots instead of creating them for himself, which helps him get better looks and attributes to his improves shot selection.

With all the good being said previously, we can’t deny that the Warriors have not been a good team this season. They are currently sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference and are projected to have a top 5 pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

Even though the draft class is widely considered to be relatively weak, there are some prospects that could be interesting for the Warriors to either rebuild their team with raw prospects while staying in championship contention or to help the team win as soon as next season.

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