The Golden State Warriors are officially in unfamiliar territory. Sitting at 13-14 and clinging to the eighth seed in the Western Conference, this isn't the start anyone in the Bay Area-or around the league-expected from a team still featuring Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler. But here we are, with more questions than answers and a rotation that looks more like a jigsaw puzzle missing a few crucial pieces.
Head coach Steve Kerr is catching plenty of heat for the team's early struggles, and while some of that is fair, there’s a growing sentiment that this roster might simply not be built to contend in the way fans hoped. On a recent episode of The Lowe Post, analyst Michael Pina didn’t mince words, pointing out the lack of reliable support behind the stars-particularly a version of Butler who’s clearly not at full strength.
“When you get past Jimmy on this roster, and it’s not the same Jimmy that it’s been the past couple years-uh oh,” Pina said. “If you were banking on the Warriors to make that push in the West… you were banking on the rest of this group to do something that they have not done this season.”
And that’s the crux of it. Golden State’s problem isn’t effort or coaching creativity-it’s consistency and depth.
Kerr has tried everything: mixing lineups, leaning on youth, giving veterans extended runs. But no matter what combination he rolls out, the results have been frustratingly uneven.
The Warriors are loaded with names, but not necessarily with answers. Guys like Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, and Quinten Post have all had their moments-flashes of promise that hint at something more.
But in a league where every night is a battle, flashes don’t cut it. The team needs steady production, and so far, that’s been elusive.
Injuries haven’t helped. Curry has missed time.
Draymond’s been in and out. Butler, who was brought in to be a two-way anchor and closer, is still clearly hampered by a knee injury suffered earlier this month.
When your stars are banged up, the supporting cast has to step up. That hasn’t happened.
Here’s a telling stat: Golden State has 11 players averaging 18 or more minutes per game-on paper, a sign of depth. But compare that to a team like the Oklahoma City Thunder, who also go deep into their bench.
The difference? OKC’s rotation includes high-impact role players like Ajay Mitchell, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe-guys who can swing games with their energy, shooting, or defense.
The Warriors, by contrast, haven’t found those kinds of difference-makers in their second unit.
That’s where Kerr’s usual magic-his ability to find the right guy at the right time-has hit a wall. It’s not that he’s lost his touch.
It’s that the options just aren’t delivering. And if Pina’s assessment is right, this might not be a matter of tweaking rotations or waiting for chemistry to develop.
It might be a roster that, as currently constructed, simply doesn’t have enough.
And that’s a tough pill to swallow for a franchise trying to squeeze every last ounce out of the Curry era. The clock is ticking.
The West is unforgiving. And unless something changes-whether it’s internal growth, health, or a roster shake-up-the Warriors might find themselves staring at a season that ends far earlier than anyone anticipated.