NBA media, including former players, tend to exaggerate their opinions to generate clicks and engagement for their hot takes, but sometimes they might have a point. For instance, the Golden State Warriors don't look like they're in a good place coming off last season, having failed to qualify for the playoffs. Then, they lost Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks and failed to acquire Lauri Markkanen from the Utah Jazz. They're not even remotely close to their championship heyday that former first-round draft pick Rashad McCants picked up on the Warriors' sad state.
In a recent episode of Gilbert Arenas' podcast Gil's Arena, McCants did not mince words.
“It's a burning building. The motherf**kers are coming down, and unfortunately, it's due to all of the things [Golden State] allowed to happen with Jordan Poole… I feel like that's why Klay [Thompson] left,” the ex-Minnesota Timberwolves guard said.
Should the Warriors do a fire sale?
Rashad McCants' references to Jordan Poole spring back to the infamous incident during training camp in October 2022 where Draymond Green punched Poole in the face after the two got in a verbal altercation. The effects from this attack didn't really show themselves right away, but it slowly and inevitably ruined the chemistry of a team that had just won the NBA championship a season previous.
While the Warriors still made the second round of the 2023 playoffs, Jordan Poole was a shell of his former self. In his championship year, Poole averaged 17.0 points and 3.8 assists throughout 22 games, shooting 50.8% from the field and 39.1% from beyond the arc. Fans saw limitless possibilities in the Poole-Curry pairing, to the extent where Klay Thompson himself began to feel expendable.
However, in their 4-2 semifinals loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Poole only put up 8.3 points and 4.2 assists on splits of 34.5% from the field and 25.0% from three. His play was so poor that head coach Steve Kerr only played him ten minutes in their Game 4 loss, where he could only watch Lonnie Walker IV play out of his mind.
Moreover, fans believed the Warriors themselves picked Green over Poole, who eventually traded the dynamic scorer to the Washington Wizards for the aging Chris Paul. During the 2024 season, Green also continued his on-court antics, further souring fans on him.
The dynasty is over
Sports dynasties don't last forever, and they often end horribly. The Bulls got stuck in mediocrity for at least a decade after Michael Jordan retired in 1998 and his teammates went on their separate ways. The three-peat Lakers ended with an embarrassing Finals loss and a highly controversial and public beef between Shaq and Kobe. Now, it seems Chef Curry's dynasty is heading on the same path, with Poole as the first domino to fall. As we enter the new season, is Rashad McCants right about the Warriors?
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