SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 3: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) sits on the sidelines with a bloody nostril in opposition to Sacramento Kings within the fourth quarter on the Chase Heart in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
The Warriors didn’t make a transfer on the commerce deadline.
And that’s positive.
May they've added a giant man? Maybe. Extra taking pictures? In all probability.
However right here’s the humorous factor with trades: you need to give to obtain.
Within the case of the Warriors, they might be giving up a participant — both as a part of the commerce or in a launch, as to make room for the brand new Warrior.
Proper now, the Warriors just like the gamers on their roster.
Are you able to blame them?
Followers who spend all day on-line might need been antsy on Thursday morning, cursing out Bob Myers as a part of their longing for the following dopamine hit that comes with the newest Woj Bomb or Shams Wow, however for these of us who view NBA Twitter as a poisonous cesspool the place attention-grabbing basketball discourse goes to die, the Warriors are an excellent crew in an awesome spot heading into the ultimate two months of the season.
Take a second to do not forget that the Warriors head into Thursday’s recreation with the Knicks at 41-14. They’ve gained 75 p.c of their video games this season. They've the second-best file within the NBA. They only had a nine-game win streak snapped, regardless of being with out All-Star Draymond Inexperienced for greater than a month. With apologies to Milwaukee and the Suns, the Warriors must be thought of the odds-on favourite to win the title.
What’s the issue right here?
Sure, they is likely to be a bit small, however let me do my finest impression of Warriors play-by-play man Bob Fitzgerald right here: James Wiseman may very well be returning to the court docket quickly, and including that tall 20-year-old is likely to be nearly as good as a commerce.
And very like my previous Hyundai Sonata, there are gamers on the Warriors which have much more worth to Golden State than they do on the open market. They'll get them from level A to level NBA Finals.
Damion Lee would internet the Warriors nothing in a commerce, however he’s an awesome locker room man and is a important floor-spacer for the second unit.
We haven’t seen Nemanja Bjelica shortly — he has a again damage — however he’s been a rock-solid participant for the Warriors. With apologies to Mo Speights, Bjelica supplies a stretch-five presence the Dubs haven't had since… ever?
Even when the Warriors wished to maneuver these guys, what would any of the Warriors gamers on minimum-value contracts have netted them?
Simply one other minimal man.
Forgive the Warriors for valuing those they already know extra.
No, the minimal guys weren’t tradable. The Warriors’ 4 All-Stars had been untouchable, too — that ought to go without having to be stated. So who may the Warriors have traded?
Solely gamers making medium bucks.
Meaning younger gamers and Kevon Looney.
The latter wasn’t going wherever. No sir. Looney has been the spine of this crew in 2021-22.
As for the children, Wiseman had no commerce worth because of the truth that he hasn’t performed in a yr. The Warriors would have been fools to commerce Jonathan Kuminga. And Moses Moody isn’t the form of participant you commerce except one thing huge was happening.
Nothing huge was happening.
The Warriors had been proper to face pat. Why drive one thing that’s not essential? Why make strikes merely for the sake of claiming you probably did one thing?
If the Warriors deem it essential, they nonetheless have alternatives so as to add to their roster within the coming weeks.
Gamers who're waived by March 1 will likely be out there to the Warriors for the rest of the common season and playoffs.
There is likely to be some fairly good choices, too.
Massive males like Tristan Thompson, Robin Lopez and Derrick Favors is likely to be round on a budget.
Backcourt reinforcements like Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe may very well be upgrades, too.
Are any of these guys higher than the minimum-value contract gamers on the Dubs? However these are choices for down the road.
Within the meantime, the Warriors had been sensible on the commerce deadline. They weren’t rash. They didn’t panic the night time after a foul loss.
Warriors coaches typically name issues “faux hustle”. That’s doing issues simply to point out different individuals you’re doing them — acts that don’t truly accomplish something worthwhile.
The Warriors know that their finest with this roster remains to be adequate to win a title.
There’s no faux hustle in San Francisco. Simply eyes on the final word prize. And the Dubs are nonetheless in an awesome place to assert it.