The Golden State Warriors have been the definition of the word “mid” for the entirety of the 2022-23 campaign thus far. At the time of writing, the Warriors have a 29-29 record, going 22-7 at home and 7-22 on the road. All in all, this amounts to a disappointing title defense effort. And with Stephen Curry out until at least after the All-Star break due to a knee injury, the Warriors could very well struggle to keep up in the congested Western Conference playoff picture.
Thus, it came as a surprise to absolutely no one when the Warriors pulled off a win-now trade prior to the 2023 deadline, re-acquiring a crucial piece of their 2022 title run in Gary Payton II for, essentially, James Wiseman. But Payton wasn't reportedly the Warriors' first choice, which totally makes sense given how that deal has turned out for the Dubs following the medical saga with the Portland Trail Blazers.
According to Zach Lowe of ESPN via Bleacher Report, the Warriors reportedly “really wanted” to trade for Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso. However, the Bulls appeared unwilling to budge on their sky-high asking price of two first-round picks for the defensive-minded guard, so the Warriors opted to trade for Payton instead.
The Warriors front office knows just how important having a great defense is to mounting a deep playoff run. The Warriors' defense ranked second last year; only the Boston Celtics' defense was better. It was no coincidence that these two teams found their way to one another in the 2022 NBA Finals.
However, the Warriors have fallen to 19th in that department, allowing 7.5 more points per 100 possessions than last season. Adding Alex Caruso, or even OG Anunoby, someone whom the Warriors expressed interest in trading for as well, would have been a godsend for their struggling defense.
Now, instead of acquiring a piece that would help them win now, the Warriors will have to wait at least a month before Gary Payton II suits up for them once more. They will need the likes of Donte DiVincenzo, Anthony Lamb, and even the little-used Moses Moody to step up, particularly defensively, if the Dubs were to hold the fort with Stephen Curry on the mend.
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