NBA Execs Say Warriors 'Better Find a Big' to Beat LeBron James, AD, Lakers
The Golden State Warriors could find themselves back in the mix in the Western Conference next season, but multiple NBA executives reportedly believe there is a glaring hole they must fill before they can compete with the Los Angeles Lakers.
According to Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer, NBA executives he spoke with told him the Warriors "had better find a big" in order to have a chance of knocking the Lakers from their perch.
With the combination of LeBron James and superstar big man Anthony Davis, the Lakers ran their way through the playoffs in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida, and beat the Miami Heat in six games to win their first championship since 2010.
The Warriors finished with the worst record in 2019-20 at 15-50, but in addition to losing Kevin Durant to the Brooklyn Nets, Klay Thompson missed the entire season with an injury, and Stephen Curry missed all but five games.
When healthy, the Warriors still largely have the core intact that went to the NBA Finals five straight seasons prior to the 2019-20 campaign, winning three championships.Ā With Curry, Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors have enough firepower to at least get back to the playoffs next season.
Golden State doesn't have much depth at center, though. Kevon Looney is solid and can give the Dubs some quality minutes, but he can't be expected to slow down Davis. However, the Warriors have the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft and could select Memphis center James Wiseman, a talented andĀ athletic 7-footer who could thrive inĀ Steve Kerr's up-tempo systemāeven if he'd need time to try to containĀ Davis.
If the Warriors pass on Wiseman or trade the pick, they could sign a veteran big such asĀ Marc Gasol, Hassan Whiteside or Tristan Thompson, who might take a discount to play for a championship-caliber squad.Ā Gasol is 35 and is well past his prime as aĀ Defensive Player of the Year (2013), but he can shoot and pass, whileĀ Whiteside has always been able to block shots, and Thompson is a double-double threat every night.
Perhaps no team can stop the duo of LeBron and AD for the foreseeable future, but the Warriors might be best positioned to do so if they added a quality big.
