“Can you beat the Golden State Warriors 4 out of 7 times?” - Matt Barnes believes Warriors are the best team when healthy despite their recent struggles
The Golden State Warriors have found themselves in a rough patch recently, primarily due to the absences of Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. It has seen the team begin to drop winnable games over the last few weeks.
“We’ve got to get better at executing under pressure and maintaining competence.”
On the Warriors’ epic fourth quarter meltdown: es.pn/3M9WpM0
During the recent slump, questions have begun to surface about Stephen Curry's level of play,. Rumors of discontent between Steve Kerr and his star guard have simmered under the surface. We can take those rumors with a pinch of salt, as it's normal for elite competitors to become frustrated when dropping games. According to former Warrior Matt Barnes, Golden State just needs to remain patient, as everything will start to improve once the team finally gets healthy.
"They’re going through a rough patch right now, but I’m not too worried considering Draymond has missed several games now, Klay has been in and out of the team with illness. But at the end of the day, heading into the playoffs you’ve got to think that on any given time you can beat one team on any given night,"Barnes said on a recent episode of ESPN's SportCenter.
He added:
"But can you beat the Golden State Warriors 4 out of 7 times, that’s the question. I think right now they understand they’ve been down this road before, that health is the main priority for this team because when this team is healthy, I feel like this is the best team in the league."
Warriors relying on youth during tough stretch
Over the last two seasons, the Golden State has added some impressive young players to their rotation. James Wiseman, Moses Moody, and Jonathan Kuminga were all highly rated players coming out of college. Thanks to some smart asset acquisitions over the years, they have added all three of those guys to their roster in the last two draft cycles.
"I love the youth this team has been able to add to the bench, Andre Iguodala is leading that bench crew, whether he’s playing or being there as a mentor for those younger players. I don’t think there’s very much concern over there in the Bay Area, they know Draymond is on his way back, Klay is working his way back. And they know when those guys are healthy, they’re one of the best teams in the league, if not the best," Barnes said.
Jonathan Kuminga has a career-high-tying 10 free throw attempts -- and did it in the first half, alone. A skillset the Warriors have been missing, and needing, for a while.
In terms of team building, the Warriors are doing exceptionally well. It's no secret that Curry, Thompson, and Green are all entering the final phase of their careers - which is why their bodies are finding the rigors of a full NBA season more demanding than before.
So, by drafting multiple young and talented players, the Warriors can begin building for the future while contending for championships in the present. That's the dream for every NBA front office, but it's scarcely a reality. Unfortunately, the Warriors' young guys aren't at the required level to keep the team afloat this year - two of those younger players are in their rookie season, and the other hasn't touched a ball in almost a year.
But, as Barnes noted, the Warriors have one of the best rosters in the NBA when healthy. Assuming their core three can maintain their availability throughout the playoffs, we can expect to see the Warriors make a deep run into the Western Conference bracket. They could potentially enter the NBA Finals.