Since the Warriors won the championship in 2022, the core roster has been largely retained, but the team's competitiveness has dropped significantly.
The biggest problem stems from two reasons.
1. The state of winning the championship has declined
Klay Thompson
With the increase of age, the sequelae of major injuries have obvious effects, whether it is the sideways movement of the footsteps or the power of the jump shot, they are not as good as before.
When a top 3-and-D player is inconsistent in three-point range and off the line defensively, then he's just a normal person.
Andrew Wiggins
The 2022 playoffs must be the highlight of Wiggins' career, putting Tatum in doubt.
In the championship-winning series, Wiggins was good offensively and defensively, equivalent to an upgraded version of Iguodala, with good offense and defense, averaging 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 1 steal per game.
Due to a broken rib in the playoffs against the Lakers last year, he didn't practice all summer, and his form this season is sluggish, averaging only 12.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
2. Jordan Poole runs away
Not to mention how bad Poole played with the Wizards, but in the Warriors' 2022 championship series, Poole was definitely a key contributor.
In the playoffs that year, Poole was a big hit, averaging 17 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 50.8% from the field and 39.1% from three-point range.
But in the summer after winning the championship, key role players left one after another, Payton Jr. signed to the Trail Blazers for 28 million in 3 years, Otto Porter signed to the Raptors for 12.6 million in 2 years, and Damian Lee went to the Suns, Anderson went to the Lakers, and Bjelica returned to Europe.
In 2023, Green punched Poole, further dismantling the championship lineup, Poole left the Wizards, and the smart Wiseman sent to the Pistons!
As for the Warriors, there has been no substantial reinforcement in the past two years, and they have been eating their old books and quickly withdrawing from the championship ranks.
The Warriors have been in a slump for the past two years, and they suddenly found that the 2022 roster mix made sense and decided to get these key players back.
Wiseman and Poole, naturally, don't need to get it back, after all, it's a hot potato that has just been thrown out.
What they need most at the moment is a 3-and-D type of player, because the Warriors' defense is terrible right now.
In 2023, the Warriors did not hesitate to use five second-round picks to trade back Payton Jr. from the Trail Blazers.
Recently, the Jazz bought out Porter from the Raptors, and the Warriors decided to sign back the former star Otto Porter.
Otto Porter paid for the Warriors after a year and a half of injury recovery with the Raptors, and now he is 100% healthy and is back to play for the Warriors.
If you want to say that the players produced by the Warriors, 90% of them are from other teams in the NBA.
On the contrary, the warriors can turn decay into magic, and they have to admire the aura of the warrior's system.
Then again, if Porter can make a smooth return, and the growth of Kuminga and Pomsky, it can make up for Poole's absence.
So, the Warriors' 2022 championship lineup is complete, can they counterattack again this year and hit the NBA championship?