One NBA executive thinks the Golden State Warriors will have a bottom-10 defense in 2019-20.
Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala are gone and Klay Thompson will miss the majority of the season recovering from his left ACL tear, which means Draymond Green is the only high-level defender on the Warriors at the moment.
Via Anthony Slater of The Athletic:
Until Thompson returns, the Warriors don’t have a plus-level defender to guard perimeter scorers. Their summer additions almost all tilted toward the offensive end.
“They might have a bottom-10 defense next season,” one executive said.
Stephen Curry and D'Angelo Russell are elite offensive players, but subpar defenders. The Warriors have been a top-20 defensive team in terms of opponents points per game since their five-year Finals run began in the 2014-15 season.
Needless to say, it's going to be interesting to watch Golden State on the defensive end of the floor in 2019-20. The Dubs will still put up points with Curry, Russell and Green, but they have to score 110 points per night just to win in the rugged Western Conference since their defense is going to be below average.
Everyone is counting the Warriors out. Let's see how the team responds to being doubted.
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