JUST IN: The four missing elements the Warriors need to get back into the title fight…

The 32-27 Golden State Warriors have been playing well as the postseason draws near. After a sluggish start, the Dubs have won 11 of their past 13 games to overtake the Lakers for ninth place in the Western Conference.
The Warriors are only two games behind the seventh-seeded Sacramento Kings and 1.5 games behind the Dallas Mavericks for the eighth conference spot. With players gradually returning to health, there are many reasons to believe that the Warriors will go on a tear in the latter stages of the season.
But the Dubs are also missing a few key components needed for a championship run. Now let’s investigate what they might be missing.

The Warriors have always had a big man, even though they have always played small. Consider David West, JaVale McGee, Festus Ezeli, Marrese Speights, Andrew Bogut, and Anderson Varejao. Kevon Looney has been a vital component of the winning Warriors teams. He is somewhat small, nevertheless.
which raises some concerns given the stature and size of center Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, who is the team’s MVP. Similarly, with the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis. The Golden State Warriors have dramatically changed their season and become one of the top teams in the NBA during the last month, despite a lopsided loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday. The Warriors are still only ninth in the Western Conference and are 1.5 games behind the Dallas Mavericks in eighth place, despite their recent excellent play. What will Golden State do after these 22 games, and perhaps another postseason run?

 

Over the last few months, several narratives have emerged, most notably Jonathan Kuminga’s emergence to become the team’s second-best scorer and possibly one of the team’s top three most useful players. The combination of Andrew Wiggins and Kuminga has been made possible by Draymond Green’s comeback, and the Warrior defense—which for a little while was the worst in the league—has also improved.
Now let’s examine three plots that will keep developing for the rest of the season. By no means are they hot takes; rather, they’re only a prediction based on cues from previous games. Unfortunately, Moses Moody’s playing time this season has frequently been influenced by the availability of players in the rotation who are ranked higher than him. The 21-year-old’s opportunity has arisen this time around because of Andrew Wiggins’s unavailability for personal reasons.

Although fans have been frustrated by Moody’s frequent changes in the rotation, this particular occasion feels different. Instead of just filling in for Wiggins, the third-year wing is assuming a role that he might never let go of. Moody scored 12 points against the Wizards on 4-of-7 three-point shooting, played outstanding defense against the Knicks in the fourth quarter on Thursday, then scored 17 points the next day against the Raptors. Moody finished with 11 points and four rebounds on 5-of-9 shooting in less than 20 minutes, even in the lopsided defeat to the Celtics on Sunday. Although Moody’s exact role in the rotation after Wiggins returns is unknown, it will undoubtedly be one of some significance. The return of the former lottery choice may prove to be a significant plot point for the rest of the season, both now and in the future. The 21-year-old forward for the Golden State Warriors is enjoying his rise to fame, as a massive new contract is anticipated once he becomes eligible for an extension in the offseason.
Since Kuminga is in the third year of a four-year rookie contract, the Warriors will be able to retain him for what is expected to be an extremely affordable $7.6 million next season. But after that, it’s likely the team will have to shell out cash to hold onto their best young players.Although Kuminga won’t be able to exercise his restricted free agent status until 2025, Golden State will have time in the upcoming summer to arrange a deal for both him and fellow third-year lottery pick Moses Moody.
In assessing the kind of money Kuminga could bring in on his next contract, ESPN’s Bobby Marks likened him to another young forward in an interview with 95.7 The Game’s Willard and Dibs last month. Kuminga and McDaniels have been compared before; in October, when the Minnesota Timberwolves forward received his contract extension, it was perceived as a potential indicator of what the young Warrior may receive. Even while it took some time for Kuminga’s preseason performance to carry over into the regular season, the former seventh overall choice has suddenly become one of the league’s top scorers in recent weeks. Having emerged as Golden State’s second-best scorer behind Stephen Curry and a contender for the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year award, Kuminga has 13 20-point games in the last 22 games.

The Warriors will have a busy summer as they decide on Kuminga and Moody in addition to Klay Thompson, who will become a free agency, Chris Paul’s non-guaranteed $30 million option, Kevon Looney’s non-guaranteed contract, and Gary Payton II’s player option. In six games since switching to a reserve position, Klay Thompson, a veteran of the Golden State Warriors, has averaged 19.2 points on 44.1% three-point shooting. He has adjusted to his new role off the bench really effectively. Thompson has shown a good attitude anytime he has discussed his new role in public, even though it represents a huge change since he will be starting off the bench for the first time since his rookie year in 2012. Nevertheless, that wasn’t always the case behind closed doors. Warrior head coach Steve Kerr disclosed that Thompson had actually raged at him and a few of the assistants after learning of his benching during Golden State’s final game before the All-Star break, according to a recent story from ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.