The Golden State Warriors dominated the NBA for five straight seasons, reaching the NBA Finals every season from 2014 to 2019. Since then, they’ve been bombarded with injuries that have sent the team in a completely new direction — one that doesn’t include Kevin Durant.
Last season, they finished the season with the worst record in the NBA at 15-50. Klay Thompson missed the entire season due to injury, and Stephen Curry missed most of the season due to injury. It hasn’t been ideal for the Warriors, but they’ve managed to keep their roster relevant.
This season was supposed to be their redemption year and their return to dominance. Unfortunately, things started unraveling when Thompson announced he suffered a season-ending surgery before the season even started.
The news broke not long before the Warriors selected James Wiseman with the second overall pick in the NBA Draft, which was a light at the end of the tunnel. The Warriors still have Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Draymond Green to work with — as well as Eric Paschall.
With the Warriors’ preseason schedule starting on Saturday, the team announced two of those star players likely won’t see any action. The Warriors are scheduled to play three preseason games, but Wiseman and Green won’t be on the court.
Kerr Not Concerned About Green
The team recently announced there were two players that tested positive for COVID-19. They didn’t disclose who those players were, but there were only two players not practicing for the Warriors — Wiseman and Green.
Head coach Steve Kerr hasn’t shed too much light on Green’s situation, but he said he’s not concerned about Green and thinks he’ll be ready for the season opener. The Warriors are expecting big things from Green this season, and he’ll be instrumental in the team’s success moving forward.
Wiseman’s Debut Likely Delayed
Wiseman, on the other hand, has a little more uncertainty surrounding him. Being a rookie, missing any preseason action in an already-awkward NBA calendar year is crucial to his development.
It’s looking more and more unlikely that he suits up on opening night of the regular season. Even if he does, you have to wonder how ready he’ll be.
Wiseman has watched practice from a distance and has spent time with Zaza Pachulia, a former Warriors center and current basketball operations consultant for the team.
There’s no doubt Wiseman is a top-tier talent and has tremendous upside. He’s vital to the team’s future success and could be one of the next superstars in this league.
Unfortunately, Warriors fans might need to wait before seeing Wiseman set loose on the court.
Warriors Short-Handed, But Still Powerful
The Warriors won’t have Wiseman or Green for the preseason (and Thompson for much longer), but they’re still a dangerous team that must be respected in the NBA today. They added Oubre and Kent Bazemore to add some production to their roster.
Their starting lineup heading into Saturday’s matchup with the Denver Nuggets is looking like it’ll be Curry, Wiggins, Oubre, Paschall, and Kevon Looney. That’s a good lineup, but likely not as good as what Denver is packing.
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