For the past several years, the Golden State Warriors have been the NBA’s preeminent dynasty with four world championships and six trips to the Finals.
But last season, that dynasty looked like it was losing some juice, as they ended their most recent title defense with a loss in the second round of the playoffs to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Perhaps one reason they fell short was Klay Thompson, who isn’t quite the same player he was in the past following a torn ACL and torn Achilles.
Former NBA player Antonio Daniels says, via SiriusXM NBA Radio, that Golden State’s championship window is closing not only because of Thompson’s apparent decline but also because the team traded away Jordan Poole this summer.
How much more time do the Golden State Warriors have to win with their current core?
Antonio Daniels tells Rick Kamla time is dwindling pic.twitter.com/cZ504LDQFS
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) September 17, 2023
Poole had been a major reason why they won it all in the 2021-22 season, as he provided them with 3-point shooting, shot creation, and youth.
But the Warriors opted to send him away this offseason in order to acquire future Hall-of-Fame point guard Chris Paul, who is 38 years old and in decline.
The hope is that a reduced role for Paul will rejuvenate him, but it may be asking for too much out of a man who averaged a career-low 13.9 points a game while shooting just 44.0 percent from the field last year.
While Thompson is 33, Draymond Green is also 33 and Stephen Curry is 35, which means the Warriors should be surrounding them with young and hungry supporting players.
But they haven’t done enough of that, and even worse, the Western Conference will be tougher this coming season, which means Daniels’ opinion could become fact.
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