Golden State = Bad Business

Author: Dawson Haywood

The Golden State Warriors are without a doubt the best team in the 2010's. Five finals appearances and three finals with the help of the Splash Bros helped change how the game of basketball is played. I would also like to give Golden State the Most Entertaining Team of the 2010s Award. Adding Kevin Durant into the mix created, in my opinion, the most heated rivalry the NBA has seen with Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder since the LA Lakers and Boston Celtics in the '70s and the '80s.

I would also like the give them the Most Influential Team (Behind MJ's Bulls) Ever Award because they played smart basketball. They took smart shots. Most kids in the world can't dunk a ball like Lebron or MJ. Most kids can drain a three pointer better than they can dunk a ball. Rec leagues around the US and maybe even the world are filled with kids that hack up three pointers before driving to the basket because of this Golden State team.

Because of their success on the court and the amount of influence they have, the Golden State Warriors have turned themselves into the fifth most valuable sports organization in the world behind the Dallas Cowboys, New York Yankees, New York Knicks, and the LA Lakers. The title of this article is "Golden State = Bad Business". Why? Well lets take a look at some players that were on the 2019 Finals team that is not named Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, or Draymond Green.

Demarcus Cousins was just recently waived by the Houston Rockets after playing off the bench behind Christian Wood. Now I get it. He got hurt and is not the same player he once was, but dang he could start in this league. I'd love to see him get picked up by the Hornets because he could easily start over Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyambo. Point is, the man is a dog and easily deserves a starting spot somewhere.

Damien Jones. In 2019 he averaged 17.1 minutes a game, had a 71.6% field goal percentage, and was overall a great role player for the 2019 Warriors. Since those finals he has hopped around the league playing for Atlanta, LA Lakers, and Phoenix. He was waived by Phoenix last month and is now working to secure his next 10 day contract

Quinn Cook. The 28 year old point guard who seemed to have a ton of potential back in 2019 is, like most players on this list, fighting for minutes. After the 2019 season the Lakers picked him up and is now with Cleveland. He has only played 65 games since the 2019 season and of those has only started one. I'm not going to pretend like he deserves a starting spot but his potential was wasted. 

Alfonzo McKinnie is currently the fourth string power forward for the LA Lakers. I'm not going to make much of a case for him because throughout his career he has averaged 4 points a game while playing 11.9 minutes a game. On top of that he is 28 years old and is only in his fourth year in the league. Maybe could start in the G-League or overseas.

Jordan Bell has been bouncing from team to team since 2019 playing for Minnesota, Memphis, and Washington. He is a smaller center but could be a decent role player for a smaller team maybe at power forward. Bell was relatively efficient in shooting making over 50% of his shots. 

Jonas Jerebko is one of those players on 2k that seem like a steal because his rating is high compared to his value in the game. The old man played in Russia since the 2019 season and is no longer playing basketball anymore. 

Andrew Bogut collected his money in 2019 and decided to retire. He's old. He got his ring in 2015. Not much to say about Bogut.

Shaun Livingston played off the bench for Golden State in his last five seasons and was loved by all Golden State fans. Livingston bounced around the league from 2004-2014, paid his dues, and is now a three time champion with the Warriors. 

Jacob Evans is the third first round pick the Warriors have picked in the span of three drafts to fall out of the league. Evans is currently in the G-League and is doing exceptionally well. Evans averages 9.9 points playing 24.6 minutes a game and is only 23 years old. He is still young and has a lot of potential and of all players on this list he is the player I would most like to see be a role player in the Association.

Kevin Looney is the only player on this list still playing with Golden State but is second string behind James Wiseman. At 25 years old he still has a lot of room for growth but it seems as if Golden State has given up on him since he was hurt in February. I hope this is not Looney's last season in the league because he is still young.

Finally, Andre Iguodala. Now playing for the Heat and is trying to make his eighth finals appearance in a row is currently playing the lowest amount of minutes of his entire career and has only started two games since being with Miami. He is third string behind Kelly Olynyk and KZ Okpala. Who? Don't get me wrong, Olynyk statistically is better than Iguodala but dang. I like to compare Iguodala's playing style to Lebron's and he has proven that he can carry teams to a championship. I'd like to see him get a more pivotal role with Miami because he is a team player and can win games. Maybe he is just a really good Playoff player. Unfortunately, he will likely retire once this contract is up. 

So, to make my point, if you are a young player coming into the league if your only goal is to win a ring and not have a lengthy and meaningful career, Golden State is your place. I understand that Golden State does not really need to develop young player because they have players like Curry, Thompson, and Green which could all lead the team to a championship. The fact that these young players made it to the finals and are now struggling to make it in the league baffles me. Going to Golden State almost grantees that your potential will significantly drop. The average amount of time a player spends in the NBA is 4.8 years and it would be a waste to see player like Cook, Bell, Looney, and Evans play only 4.8 years in the league.

​Going to Golden State is bad business for players looking to make it in this league.