Playing buy or sell with 2019-20 NBA preseason trends
We should be worried about the Warriors
Putting stock in team-related results in preseason is dumb. Just because the Golden State Warriors are 1-3, with all three losses coming against a legitimate title contender like the Lakers, that doesn’t mean their playoff hopes are suddenly in jeopardy.
However, there are some worrisome signs, some of which were clear with a single glance at the depth chart before preseason action was even underway.
Heading into their preseason finale, the Dubs rank 29th out of 38 preseason teams in defensive rating. They’ve been shellacked by 22 and 33 points in two of those three losses, and their one win against the Minnesota Timberwolves required 40 points from Stephen Curry.
The Warriors’ wing rotation is in dire straights, which was natural to expect when replacing Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston with Alec Burks, Alfonzo McKinnie, Eric Paschall, Jacob Evans, Glenn Robinson III and rookie Jordan Poole. And while Marquese Chriss has done more than enough to earn a roster spot, he’s not a starting-caliber big man, so injuries to Kevon Looney and Willie Cauley-Stein are cause for concern.
Three losses against a really good team shouldn’t be reason for sounding the alarm, however. Looney and WCS aren’t expected to miss significant time, and as bad as Golden State’s defense has been, Draymond Green and a healthy Looney will help tighten the ship. Curry is still one of the NBA’s most dangerous weapons when he ignites, as he showed against Minnesota, so as much as the Warriors have been dominated by LeBron and AD this preseason, no one should be worrying about their playoff hopes just yet.