Category: Sports News

Five flaws Warriors must address to upgrade their roster this NBA offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Too old, too small, too little athleticism, too little accountability and inconsistent secondary scoring. The Warriors’ shortcomings, so visible throughout the 2025-26 season and amplified in the absence of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler III, are being magnified in the NBA playoffs.

Even at their healthiest, the Warriors’ roster is incapable of running with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s army of deep shooters and aggressive, switchable defenders.

Even though Golden State won twice at San Antonio last November, the Spurs afterward responded with rapid improvement to post the best record in the league over the last five months.

The Warriors were 12-23 against Western Conference teams that finished ahead of them in the regular season, and it won’t get any better without extensive roster upgrades.

“To compete in the West next season, Golden State will have to do some serious roster maneuvering,” one Western Conference scout told NBC Sports Bay Area. “They’ve got to plan for Butler to miss maybe 50 games. They can’t know if (Moses) Moody will make it back. They don’t have enough offense, even with Steph, to scare anybody.”

This is not news to CEO Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy. It’s not news to coach Steve Kerr. And, if he departs, it won’t be news to the next coach.

The Warriors are facing their most consequential offseason since a new ownership group, led by Lacob, bought the team in 2010. Considering the heights the franchise has reached since then, the personnel adjustments this summer are even more significant than signing free agent Kevin Durant in 2016.

Whereas Durant bolstered a team in flight, this summer is about the front office rescuing a team treading water. A few tweaks won’t make an appreciable difference.

Here is a look at the five factors that must be addressed for the Warriors to have any chance of rejoining the contenders in the West.

Too Old

Curry is 38. Butler will be 37 when he returns. Draymond Green is 36. If that is the core, as it was last season, it won’t be enough to chase the mission – a deep postseason run – they failed to complete last season.

Curry is a lock to return next season and, presumably, beyond. Green knows there’s a chance he’ll be moved. Butler isn’t going anywhere, according to Dunleavy, but what was said in January could be retracted in July.

For the Warriors to make any noise in the West, an infusion of reliably productive youth must be added. And at least one of the newcomers must have enough NBA All-Star characteristics to join the existing core, if not replace one of the seasoned trio.

If this remains the core and the Warriors don’t add an impact player, they’ll have only the slimmest chance of rising above the NBA play-in tournament.

Too Small

The Warriors are miniature by current NBA roster standards. Small teams have no chance of thriving unless blessed with elite speed, intellect, discipline and tenacity. Their “death lineups,” before adding Durant, were smallish – averaging a shade under 6-foot-6 – but had all four of those components.

Golden State’s current roster has tenacity but lacks the other three. Curry and Green don’t move as they did 10 years ago. They were supported by a roster with one switchable young rotation player, 6-foot-7 Gui Santos, standing taller than 6-foot-5.

No one in the Denver Nuggets’ rotation is under 6-foot-4. The only Spurs rotation player under 6-foot-5 is hiccup-quick De’Aaron Fox at 6-foot-2. The Minnesota Timberwolves’ only rotation player under 6-foot-4 is speedy 6-foot-2 Bones Hyland. The only Los Angeles Lakers rotation player under 6-foot-5 is 6-foot-3 Marcus Smart, a defensive beast who plays closer to 6-foot-6. OKC’s only rotation player under 6-foot-4 is 6-foot-3 Cason Wallace.

“And he’s in the top tier of athletes in the league,” a Western Conference assistant coach said of Wallace.

Too Little Athleticism

When the Curry-less Warriors stumbled through March jacking up 3-pointers against teams vulnerable in the paint, I was puzzled enough to ask Kerr about shot selection.

“Without Steph and Jimmy,” he said, “we really don’t have anyone we can count on to break down a defense. It’s hard for them to dribble and shift their way past someone. I don’t like all the threes we take, especially early in the shot clock, but sometimes it’s our best chance to score.”

Seven of the top 10 teams in total dunks are in the West, and the Warriors ranked dead last. They ranked 27th in shots within three feet of the rim. Kerr believed too few players on the roster possess the handle and wiggle to get to the rim – and the bounce to consistently finish. It’s hard to argue.

Their lack of quickness was no less notable on defense.

If next season’s Warriors can’t better manipulate defenses – and prevent penetration on the other end – they’ll be home before May.

Too Little Accountability

How hard it must have been for Lacob and Dunleavy and any citizen within Dub Nation to watch, game after game, the Warriors literally throwing away chances to win.

Their turnovers were spread across the roster and throughout the season. January was the only month Golden State didn’t post multiple games with more than 20 giveaways.

Kerr seemed to take the edge off his typical bristling and barking when Golden State victimized itself with sloppy ballhandling and passing. Maybe he was acknowledging the team’s greatly diminished talent level with Curry and Butler sidelined. He generally praised the effort and mentioned the need to be smarter, but any demands went unmet.

The roster was not deep enough to bench Player A and expect an upgrade with Player B.

Whether it’s Kerr or another coach, there must be a lower tolerance for turnovers.

Inconsistent Secondary Scoring

Curry and Butler established themselves as the top two scorers, Curry averaging 27.2 points and Butler an even 20, but the offense generally ran dry if they weren’t stacking buckets.

None of the youngsters averaged more than 13.8 points per game (Brandin Podziemski), even with the additional minutes and opportunities afforded when Curry and Butler were sidelined. Podziemski led the team in minutes, scoring at least 25 points on five occasions but topping it only twice.

Kristaps Porziņģis, acquired in February, managed to average 16.7 points, but his availability was a model of inconsistency. De’Anthony Melton’s 12.3-point average came with strong highs and extreme lows; he shot 40.7 percent from the field, including 29.4 percent from deep. Moody averaged 12.1 points, shooting a team-high 40.1 percent from deep before sustaining a severe knee injury.

If the Warriors were without Curry and Butler, it’s hard to guess which of them would be at the top of an opponent’s scouting report.

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Game Two of the San Antonio Spurs’ first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers went about as poorly as it could go. Not only did the team lose at home, surrendering home-court advantage, but they also lost their superstar big man, Victor Wembanyama, to a concussion. Now, Wembanyama’s status becomes the big question for Game Three.

Wembanyama traveled with the team to Portland and is listed as questionable for Game Three. There is a chance he can play, but being just 72 hours removed from the initial incident, it will be a long shot for him to pass the league’s concussion protocols and suit up on Friday night.

If Wembanyama is out, the Spurs will rely on Luke Kornet as their starting center. They’ll look to the rest of the supporting cast to replace Wemby’s scoring in most of the team’s first playoff experience in hostile territory. San Antonio won its only game in Portland this season, 115-102. De’Aaron Fox scored 37 points in that game, and Kornet held down the paint with 3 blocks. That game could be the perfect blueprint for stealing a game on the road and re-taking a 2-1 lead in the series.

San Antonio Spurs (1-1) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (1-1)

April 24th, 2026 | 9:30 PM CT

Watch: Amazon Prime Video | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: Jordan McLaughlin – Out (ankle), Victor Wembanyama – Questionable (concussion protocol)

Trail Blazers Injuries: Damian Lillard – Out (achilles)

What to watch for:

Backup center minutes

Congratulations, Carter Bryant! You are the Spurs’ de facto backup big man! When Wembanyama went down, Mitch Johnson went to Bryant as the backup center when Kornet needed a spell. The results were mixed. Bryant plays with excellent energy and made some winning plays on the offensive end. However, the Blazers attacked the basket with even more force when Bryant was playing the five. He was -14 in his 12 minutes. He simply lacks the size to play big minutes at center. Assuming Wembanyama is out, Bryant will probably need to play backup center again. The Spurs will need to hope the advantages he creates offensively outweigh the problems his lack of size makes defensively.

Or, Johnson may need to go to his big man depth for at least a few minutes while Kornet sits. Mason Plumlee seems like the most likely candidate to get spot minutes. He was largely ineffective in the regular season, but at this point, the Spurs may need another big body. All Plumlee needs to do is grab rebounds and hold his own against Robert Williams III and Donovan Clingan in short spurts to help San Antonio withstand the non-Kornet minutes.

Can the guards step up?

It has not been the best start to the series for the Spurs’ guards. Fox has played the best out of the three, but went ice-cold in the fourth quarter of Game Two when San Antonio needed him the most. Stephon Castle has been wildly inefficient, going 11-33 from the field in the first two games. Things seemed to click for Dylan Harper in Game Two, but he has made some rookie mistakes as well. San Antonio will need all three of them to play at the top of their games to beat Portland on the road.

Fox should have the ball in his hands frequently. He’s been great when Wembanyama doesn’t suit up this season. There is no reason to doubt his ability to rise to the occasion on Friday. Castle is needed in a major way on both ends. Whether it’s slowing down Scoot Henderson and Deni Avdija on defense or scoring efficiently around the rim, San Antonio needs Castle to get back on track. Harper can be a spark plug for a Spurs’ bench unit that has lacked some punch in the series so far. Either he or Keldon Johnson needs to add some scoring off the bench.

Three-point shooting

One of the biggest differences from Game One to Game Two was the Spurs’ three-point shooting. San Antonio shot 15-33 (45%) in Game One, and 7-24 (29%) in Game Two. Portland has shot below 35% in both games and was 28th in three-point percentage in the regular season. If San Antonio continues to play tough perimeter defense, they can hold Portland at bay from deep. They need to hit their threes, especially while the Blazers have been so effective at protecting the paint.

San Antonio could use some hot shooting from its best shooters. Julian Champagnie has been efficient on low volume, hitting 4 of his 6 attempts from three in two games. Devin Vassell went 0-5 from deep in Game Two’s loss. Harrison Barnes has yet to hit a three-pointer in the series. One or multiple of these three will need to be a threat from outside in what will most likely be a very tough Game Three.

ATLANTA - Mikal Bridges has been a Knick for two years. So he understands what’s going to be said/written about him over the next two days. 

“I’ve got to take it on the chin, handle it how I’m supposed to and be ready for the next one. You know, it’s going to suck. It is what it is. I’ve just got to be better to help my team out there.”

That was Bridges’ response to a question about how he can bounce back from a truly forgettable game on Thursday. 

The Knick wing missed all three of his shot attempts and had four turnovers in Game 3. New York was outscored by 26 in Bridges’ 20 minutes on the floor. Bridges was benched for nearly all of the second half as Mike Brown replaced him with Miles McBride. 

McBride delivered in all the ways Bridges fell short: he hit five threes, had two steals and helped stabilize the Knicks defense. It obviously wasn’t enough in the end. But McBride’s performance leaves Brown and the coaching staff with an interesting decision ahead of a must-win Game 4. 

Should Brown shake up his starting lineup and replace Bridges with McBride?

The Knicks got off to a terrible start on Thursday, falling behind by as many as 13 in the first quarter. So maybe Brown and his staff believe McBride can help them avoid another start. Maybe they think Bridges can get going off the bench. 

Whatever decision Brown comes to will be crucial. 

The Knicks can’t afford to get off to another slow start in Game 4. A loss on Saturday would put the Knicks on the brink of a disaster. 

As you know, this is a team that is supposed to reach the NBA Finals, not fall out in the first round. 

A loss to the Hawks would almost certainly lead to major changes – whether they be to the roster, coaching staff or front office. 

It would also lead to heavy criticism of the decisions to trade for Bridges and Towns and fire Tom Thibodeau. 

The Knicks gave up five first-round picks to acquire Bridges. Team president Leon Rose & Co. saw him as the perfect complement to their core. 

They certainly didn’t see him being a non-factor in a pivotal playoff game. 

But that’s what happened on Thursday. If you go back to the second half of Game 2, Bridges is 0-for-7 with four turnovers and a -37 net rating against the Hawks. 

He acknowledged that it was tough to be on the bench in the fourth quarter of a close game. 

“But I’ve just gotta be better so I can be out there,” Bridges said. 

In his news conference after Game 3, Brown said he believes Bridges will bounce back. 

“I’m not concerned. Mikal is a pro. He’s been there,” Brown said. “He’s played hundreds of basketball games, so he’ll be fine.”

Maybe Brown is right. But the more important question is whether Bridges will be in the starting lineup on Saturday. 

The answer to that may define the rest of this series – and the rest of this season – for the Knicks

Denver Nuggets (54-28, third in the Western Conference) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (49-33, sixth in the Western Conference)

Minneapolis; Saturday, 8:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: Nuggets -1.5; over/under is 229.5

WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Timberwolves lead series 2-1

BOTTOM LINE: The Minnesota Timberwolves host the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference first round with a 2-1 lead in the series. The Timberwolves won the last meeting 113-96 on Friday, led by 25 points from Ayo Dosunmu. Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 27.

The Timberwolves are 9-7 in division matchups. Minnesota is seventh in the league with 118.0 points and is shooting 48.1% from the field.

The Nuggets are 11-5 against the rest of their division. Denver is seventh in the Western Conference with 44.0 rebounds per game led by Jokic averaging 12.9.

The Timberwolves average 118.0 points per game, 1.1 more points than the 116.9 the Nuggets allow. The Nuggets are shooting 49.6% from the field, 3.4% higher than the 46.2% the Timberwolves' opponents have shot this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Julius Randle is averaging 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and five assists for the Timberwolves. Dosunmu is averaging 13.7 points over the last 10 games.

Jamal Murray is averaging 25.4 points and 7.1 assists for the Nuggets. Jokic is averaging 22.8 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Timberwolves: 5-5, averaging 116.8 points, 41.1 rebounds, 25.7 assists, 8.1 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.0 points per game.

Nuggets: 8-2, averaging 123.6 points, 47.1 rebounds, 28.8 assists, 7.2 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 48.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.7 points.

INJURIES: Timberwolves: Terrence Shannon Jr.: out (illness), Jaylen Clark: out (illness).

Nuggets: Aaron Gordon: out (calf), Peyton Watson: out (hamstring).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18, first in the Western Conference) vs. Phoenix Suns (45-37, seventh in the Western Conference)

Phoenix; Saturday, 3:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: Thunder -9.5; over/under is 214.5

WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Thunder lead series 2-0

BOTTOM LINE: The Oklahoma City Thunder visit the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference first round with a 2-0 lead in the series. The Thunder won the last meeting 120-107 on Thursday, led by 37 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Dillon Brooks led the Suns with 30.

The Suns have gone 29-23 against Western Conference opponents. Phoenix has a 7-10 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Thunder are 41-11 in conference play. Oklahoma City leads the Western Conference giving up just 107.9 points per game while holding opponents to 43.7% shooting.

The Suns average 112.6 points per game, 4.7 more points than the 107.9 the Thunder allow. The Thunder score 7.9 more points per game (119.0) than the Suns allow their opponents to score (111.1).

TOP PERFORMERS: Collin Gillespie is averaging 12.7 points and 4.6 assists for the Suns. Devin Booker is averaging 23.5 points over the last 10 games.

Gilgeous-Alexander is scoring 31.1 points per game and averaging 4.3 rebounds for the Thunder. Isaiah Joe is averaging 2.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Suns: 4-6, averaging 108.5 points, 43.0 rebounds, 22.6 assists, 7.4 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.6 points per game.

Thunder: 8-2, averaging 121.0 points, 44.3 rebounds, 27.8 assists, 11.0 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 49.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.7 points.

INJURIES: Suns: Mark Williams: day to day (foot), Jordan Goodwin: day to day (calf).

Thunder: Jalen Williams: out (hamstring), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Detroit Pistons (60-22, first in the Eastern Conference) vs. Orlando Magic (45-37, eighth in the Eastern Conference)

Orlando, Florida; Saturday, 1 p.m. EDT

LINE: Pistons -2.5; over/under is 214.5

EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Series tied 1-1

BOTTOM LINE: The Orlando Magic host the Detroit Pistons in game three of the Eastern Conference first round with the series tied 1-1. The Pistons defeated the Magic 98-83 in the last meeting on Wednesday. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 27 points, and Jalen Suggs led the Magic with 19.

The Magic are 26-26 in Eastern Conference games. Orlando has a 19-19 record in games decided by at least 10 points.

The Pistons are 39-13 against conference opponents. Detroit has a 10-6 record in games decided by less than 4 points.

The 115.7 points per game the Magic average are 6.1 more points than the Pistons give up (109.6). The Pistons average 11.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.1 fewer made shots on average than the 12.1 per game the Magic allow.

TOP PERFORMERS: Paolo Banchero is averaging 22.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists for the Magic. Desmond Bane is averaging 17.1 points over the last 10 games.

Cunningham is averaging 23.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 9.9 assists for the Pistons. Duncan Robinson is averaging 2.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Magic: 7-3, averaging 115.1 points, 45.0 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 10.2 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.8 points per game.

Pistons: 7-3, averaging 116.0 points, 44.7 rebounds, 30.0 assists, 10.0 steals and 7.2 blocks per game while shooting 49.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.1 points.

INJURIES: Magic: Jonathan Isaac: day to day (knee).

Pistons: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. Atlanta Hawks (46-36, sixth in the Eastern Conference)

Atlanta; Saturday, 6 p.m. EDT

LINE: Knicks -1.5; over/under is 214.5

EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Hawks lead series 2-1

BOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Hawks host the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference first round with a 2-1 lead in the series. The Hawks won the last meeting 109-108 on Thursday, led by 24 points from Jalen Johnson. OG Anunoby led the Knicks with 29.

The Hawks have gone 27-25 against Eastern Conference teams. Atlanta has a 7-8 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Knicks are 35-17 in Eastern Conference play. New York ranks fifth in the NBA giving up only 110.1 points while holding opponents to 46.0% shooting.

The 118.5 points per game the Hawks score are 8.4 more points than the Knicks allow (110.1). The Knicks are shooting 47.8% from the field, 0.4% higher than the 47.4% the Hawks' opponents have shot this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Johnson is averaging 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists for the Hawks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 18.9 points over the last 10 games.

Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds for the Knicks. Jalen Brunson is averaging 19.6 points and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 46.0% over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hawks: 6-4, averaging 116.3 points, 44.1 rebounds, 26.1 assists, 8.7 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 47.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.2 points per game.

Knicks: 6-4, averaging 111.5 points, 43.5 rebounds, 25.8 assists, 8.3 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 48.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.0 points.

INJURIES: Hawks: Jock Landale: out (ankle).

Knicks: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.