6 Missing Pieces Between Golden State Warriors and the Playoffs

The Golden State Warriors have missed the playoffs in 17 of the last 18 seasons. Despite head coach Mark Jackson declaring the Warriors were headed back to the postseason before the 2011-12 season started, the Warriors weren't particularly close.

The Warriors lost 17 of their final 20 games, and their 23-43 record was tied for seventh-worst in the NBA. But the team isn't as bad as its record might indicate. The Warriors have some talented pieces and they've had some injuries, so it's plausible that they could make the playoffs next season.

Here are six missing ingredients between the Warriors and the 2012-13 playoffs.

A Good Backup Point Guard

Stephen Curry is a key player for the Warriors. He's also one of the better point guards in the NBA when he's on the court. The problem with Curry is that he's not often on the court due to his troublesome right ankle.

Curry had surgery on the ankle on April 25, according to SF Gate—his second surgery on the ankle within the last year—in hopes of preventing the chronic issues that have plagued him since the 2010-11 season. If the surgery is a success, then Curry should be able to put his ankle problems behind him.

But the reality of the situation is that Curry missed 40 of the team's 66 games in 2011-12 with the ankle injury. So while it's hopeful that this second surgery is a success, the Warriors can't count on having Curry in the lineup on a regular basis. They need to get a good backup point guard who can pick up the slack if Curry gets hurt again.

A Well-Rounded Coaching Staff

Head coach Mark Jackson has plenty of experience on the sidelines in the NBA. The trouble for Jackson is that most of that experience is as a player. Jackson has very little experience coaching in the NBA. That's why it was so important for Jackson to bring in a guy like Michael Malone, who has years of experience as an NBA assistant coach.

But Michael Malone is one of the top candidates for the Charlotte Bobcats' head coaching vacancy (via SF Gate). The Warriors need to have an experienced assistant coach ready to step in if Malone gets hired by Charlotte.

A Starting Small Forward

The Warriors have four quality players in their starting lineup. David Lee and Andrew Bogut can capably man the post at power forward and center. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are a nice duo for the backcourt.

What the Warriors are lacking is a good small forward.

Without much cap space, this is an area the Warriors will need to address through the draft or trades. There are a few elite wing prospects in Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Harrison Barnes projected to go towards the top of the draft. If the NBA draft lottery shakes out favorably for the Warriors, they might have an opportunity to draft one of those players.

Better Defense

The Warriors were one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA in 2011-12. They were ranked 19th in the NBA in opponent field-goal percentage at 45.3 percent (via NBA.com). They were one of the worst teams in points allowed per game, ranking 28th of 30 teams and allowing 101.18 points per game. Lastly, they were ranked 27th in Basketball Reference's defensive rating.

If the Warriors want to make a return to the playoffs, then they're going to need to make some improvements on the defensive end. They seem to have capable players and a coach that emphasizes defense in Mark Jackson.

Now it's just a matter of executing consistently.

Consistent Rebounding

Golden State was the worst rebounding team in the NBA last season. They were out-rebounded by an average of 6.65 rebounds per night. Just to give you an idea of how bad that is, every other team in the NBA (with the exception of Charlotte) averaged no less than five fewer rebounds than their opponent.

In the Warriors' defense, they traded away Ekpe Udoh (one of their better rebounders) for center Andrew Bogut, who didn't play due to injury. Bogut has averaged 9.3 rebounds per game throughout his career, so having him in the lineup will certainly help in this regard.

This is a crucial area for the Warriors to improve. Without a good defensive team, they need to capitalize when their opponents miss by rebounding the ball and not allowing second-chance points.

Capitalize on the Draft

With the Warriors only a player or two from contention, a good draft day could go a long way in returning the Warriors to the playoffs. The Warriors have to give their first-round pick to the Utah Jazz, unless it's a top-seven pick. If it's a top-seven pick, then the Warriors get to keep the selection.

Based on how the Warriors finished the season, they have a 72.4 percent chance of getting a top-seven pick in the draft lottery. The Warriors can either draft a good prospect or trade their pick for a proven veteran.

Even if the Warriors lose the pick to Utah, they still need to make some good moves on draft day. They own the San Antonio Spurs' first-round pick and two second-round picks. Between those three picks (plus a potential top-seven pick), the Warriors should be able to improve their squad.

For a more comprehensive look at Golden State's options in the draft, check out my slideshow breaking down the Warriors' best- and worst-case scenarios for the draft.