The Golden State Warriors dynasty as we know it might have officially just ended in front of our eyes Tuesday night. The Sacramento Kings knocked out the Warriors of the Play-in tournament with a resounding 118-94 win over their Northern California foe.
For the first time in the Big 3 era of Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson being on the court, the Warriors failed to make the playoffs.
It’s been 12 years and four championships since these guys took the floor for the first time together, was tonight the last time they all wore the Warrior uniform?
The Warriors’ Big 3
Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green have been with the Warriors their whole careers. As a lifelong Warriors fan, I am so appreciative to have seen these legends and thank them for all they’ve accomplished in these 12 years. I was a seventh grader when they first took the floor together and now I’m a 24-year-old adult! Time flies.
All three are future Hall of Famers and will have a statue outside Chase Center. Unfortunately, Tuesday night might have been the last time we saw them take the floor as Golden State Warriors together.
It’s pretty clear that Steph Curry will be back with the Warriors next year and has two years left on his current contract. Curry is still one of the best players in the NBA even at age 36. The Warriors are going to do their best to squeeze everything they can out of his greatness.
Draymond Green is still under contract for three more years. Draymond had a good year when he was playing but missed a lot of games due to ejections and suspensions. I would be surprised if the Warriors moved the 34-year-old Green, but anyone not named Curry is on the table.
There’s a good chance Klay Thompson played his last game as a Warrior. Thompson is a free agent this offseason and has been declining as a player for the last few years. We’ve seen flashes of the old Klay at times, but it is clear that the ACL and Achilles injuries from 2019 and 2020 have taken a toll.
Warriors 2023-24 Season in Review
The Warriors were hit with a reality check this year. They aren’t the same dominant team they have been in years past. Finishing tenth in the West and missing the playoffs with the highest payroll in the NBA is a disaster.
The Warriors had a good 5-1 start to the year, but then the multiple ejections and suspensions to Green along with them not being able to close games derailed the early season success.
The Warriors dropped all the way to 19-24 this season. But Green returned, and they got contributions from younger players like Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Moses Moody. Golden State ended the year hot, finishing 46-36. However, that was only good enough to finish 10th in the Western Conference.
The positives to take away were the development of third-year forward Jonathan Kuminga, the emergence of rookies Podziemski and Jackson-Davis, and Steph Curry still being one of the best players in the NBA.
The negatives were pretty much everything else. The Chris Paul addition had a pretty “meh” result. It was very telling that he only played 18 minutes and scored three points in the biggest game of the season last night. Klay Thompson showed more regression.
Green still couldn’t keep himself from getting ejected and missing games due to suspension. Even head coach Steve Kerr admitted in his post-game press conference “I’ve got to do a better job next year of helping us offensively”.
The disappointing 2023-24 Warriors season is now over.
Where Do the Warriors Go From Here?
Second-year General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. will have his hands full this offseason. The fanbase is demanding to put a championship-level team around the 36-year-old Steph Curry, and the clock is ticking.
Golden State has to address the issue of not having anyone besides Curry be able to handle the ball and create their own shot. He seemed really worn down towards the end of the year. They also need to get much more athletic across the board.
You can’t expect to have so many players in their mid-late 30s being able to play a full regular season and then be ready for a playoff run. I look for Golden State to move some of the older players and reload with more youth. Tough decisions with key players such as Thompson, Green, Chris Paul, and Andrew Wiggins will have to be made.
While the team may look a lot different, this dynasty doesn’t end until Curry hangs up his shoes. I still believe that we’ll see Steph holding up his fifth Larry O’Brien trophy in a Warriors uniform someday.
If this was indeed the last game for the Warriors Big 3, I will reiterate my thank you to them for all the great times and memories they gave us fans.
About the Author
Cory is an Oregon Duck alumni and has been following basketball closely for years; whether it be playing, watching, or attending live. Follow Cory on X @cory_pappas1 for more breaking stories and game previews.
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