Needless to say, things have not gone according to plan for the Golden State Warriors.
The Dubs were already facing doubts heading into the 2019-20 season due to Klay Thompson's ACL injury and the absence of Kevin Durant.
Those doubts have increased tenfold after Stephen Curry suffered a broken left hand and Draymond Green revealed that he had a torn ligament in his index finger.
However, Miami Heat veteran Udonis Haslem commented on how this Warriors team stacks up with the 2014-15 Heat team that was similarly depleted of their star talent (via Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel):
“I do see the parallels,” Haslem said. “I do see some of the same things that they're going through, and I definitely can relate to it in a lot of ways.”
“Obviously it's a huge, huge change,” he said. “And it's difficult at first. But I think you've got to have veteran leadership, guys that have seen it all. I've been in situations where we've won 15 games; I've also been in situations where I'm at the top.
In the interim, Haslem pointed to Draymond Green, the third element of the Warriors' original, pre-Durant Big Three, as a needed rudder.
“He's the last one left,” Haslem said. “Klay's out. Obviously, Steph is out. Those guys will be around, but they won't be actually on the court. So Draymond is going to have to be a leader not only on the court, but also in the locker room and keeping those guys mentally and physically prepared. He's the only guy who knows right now what it takes.”
That Heat team watched LeBron James return to Cleveland, then dealt with extensive injuries to both Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. Still, they nearly reached the playoffs.
As Haslem suggests, Green will have to take his leadership qualities to another level with both Curry and Thompson out of the lineup and the Warriors relying on contributions from their young players. Not to mention, D'Angelo Russell will have the opportunity to see even more of the ball.
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