In 1996, the San Antonio Spurs thought they had the ingredients for a championship run. But then centerpiece David Robinson went down with a season-ending injury and just like that, the Spurs' organization was changed forever. Is that where the 2019 Golden State Warriors are headed?
That year, the Spurs would go onto win just 20 games and finish with the No.1 pick in the 1997 NBA Draft. And with that selection, they chose to bypass Tracey McGrady and Keith Van Horn for a fundamentally sound player named Tim Duncan. For those in the know, Robinson would return at full strength in 1997 and he and Duncan would go on to lead the Spurs to a championship a season later.
Fast forward to 2019 and the Warriors may be headed for a similar fate. This past offseason, the once-mighty Warriors lost Kevin Durant to free agency then lost Klay Thompson and now Stephen Curry to injuries. Neither will take the court for the rest of the year.
While the Warriors still have two All-Stars on their roster with Draymond Green and D'Angelo Russell, no one expects the Warriors to make any real noise, let alone the playoffs. If Steve Kerr is a wise man, this is the best solution long-term.
With max deals being tossed around like potatoes, the Warriors could find themselves with four max players, a group of young newcomers and a possible No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Yes, you read that correctly. Due to injuries and maybe a little tanking, the Warriors could very well be stacked again as early as next summer.
Please remember where the Spurs stood before Robinson's injury. In 1995, that same Spurs team won 59 games but fizzled out in the Western Conference Semifinals. Back then, teams stayed together, not like the musical chairs we see today. If a team was stacked with talent, it was hard to unseat them. That's why the Chicago Bulls were able to dominate the league as they did during their remarkable run.
With veterans such as Sean Elliott, Vinny Del Negro, Vernon Maxwell, Charles Smith, and Avery Johnson, the Spurs were just missing a talent to help put them over the top. When they drafted Duncan, they knew that had something special, they just didn't know how special.
This has to be the Warriors' mentality as the 2019-20 season plays out. They have All-Star talent at their disposal with Green and Russell but are still struggling. As with that Spurs team, there were games where everything clicks, then there will be some where nothing goes right. The playoffs are no more. The reality of the situation is they're now playing for draft position.
Call it tanking or whatever, but once the news hit that Curry will not return, Kerr, behind closed doors had to let out a sigh of relief. You see, many have questioned his coaching ability. How hard can it be to win with four All-Stars including two MVP's? With all the major injuries, Kerr now gets a pass.
Here's where the Golden State Warriors stand heading into the offseason. They will be a lottery team for sure. They will also begin the year with Curry, Thompson, Russell, and Green. That's one heck of a starting block. And just like that, winning will be returned. However, the Warriors do have other options.
There's a chance they could trade either Green or Russell. Green still has value and with the way Eric Paschall has played this year, moving Green and getting draft picks or more second unit help may be the best way to go.
Then you have Russell. His place with the team has not been identified. It was supposed to be Russell and Curry as the new “it” guys but Curry is out so there was no chemistry built there. Next season, Kerr will still need to find a rotation that will have either Thompson or Russell playing out of position.
Then there's the Draft. With a talent-heavy group heading the NBA's way this June, the Warriors will have their pick of the litter. The backcourt is solid. If they choose to stay with Green or Paschall, they're good there. The SF position will still be good with either Thompson or Russell so, all that leaves in someone to man the paint.
This has been their biggest weakness during their run. Now, they have a chance to land one of the best in this coming draft. No need to pay Tristan Thompson, Anthony Davis, Hassan Whiteside or Andre Drummond a large sum of money, Kerr will have a rookie to lean on just as the Spurs did in 1997.
Did the San Antonio Spurs really need Duncan? No. But how could they pass up a player with his skills and potential? His drafting not only changed the outcome for the 1997 season but look at what it did for the organization. Tim Duncan would go on to lead the Spurs to four more championships.
The critics have waited for the Warriors' downfall for the past four years. But what they didn't expect was what a losing season could actually bring. The Warriors had their run already but who's to say they can't begin another? All it may take is a losing season to get them back on track. Don't believe me? Ask the 1996 San Antonio Spurs.
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