The Golden State Warriors Should Not Make A Move At The NBA Trade Deadline
While most teams will head into the NBA trade deadline looking to improve or cut cost, the Golden State Warriors should be good just the way they are. The Houston Rockets may need to upgrade thanks to injuries and lack of depth at SF. The Philadelphia 76ers are still in need of a PF and the Los Angeles Lakers are in need of backup PG and a consistent SG.
The Warriors, winners of three of the last four NBA championships are loaded.
This season, they have relied on their usual star power of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Kevin Durant. Their bench is held down by Andre Iguadola, Shawn Livingston, Quinn Cook, Jordan Bell, and Kevin Looney. While none of the names are household, they have helped the Warriors become elite.
Here are 3 reasons why the Golden State Warriors shouldn’t make a move at the NBA trade deadline.
DeMarcus Cousins
If Cousins was there from the beginning of the season and the team was struggling, then maybe a move could be made. However, just getting Cousins into the lineup now, this is like they just made a move at the trade deadline. We’ve yet to see Cousins’ full impact on the team. This is a starting five that may be the best ever assembled in NBA history. Why mess that up?
What the rest of the NBA is up against are three of the best shooters the game has ever seen in Curry, Thompson, and Durant. One of the best post defenders in Green and arguably the NBA’s best big man in Cousins before he went down with a season-ending injury a year ago.
The Western Conference Has Not Caught Up
The Western Conference is not as dominant as its been over the last few seasons. The Rockets are playing great ball but will injuries slow them down? The Lakers are hurting and the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs have issues of their own. So why should the Warriors make any drastic moves considering they have yet to unleash their potential yet?
There is no team in the West or the East who can match up with the Warriors player for player. Their best plan is to hope for injuries but even with that, their arsenal is just too impressive. Can the Lakers really rely on a team that features wet-behind-the-ears Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma to pose a real threat even with LeBron?
Going For History
No team has ever gone undefeated in the NBA playoffs. Some have come close but no cigar there. This Warriors team could be the first to ever do it. The 2001 Los Angles Lakers came close but thanks to Allen Iverson, they missed that feat by one game. Not even the Michael Jordan-led Bulls accomplished that. So, to see this team pull off the impossible is another reason why a trade should not be made.
Look around the West. How many teams can actually say they have a fighting chance? As much grief as Durant and Cousins have taken for joining the Warriors, why not go out and just give people more to talk about. History and championships are all that matter. What better way to tell the critics to shut up then by doing something no other team has done? Yes, the hate will still be real but who cares at that point?
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
