Warriors are more than a player away

It all added up to a suprisingly bad 15-50 record before the pandemic shutdown, just a year removed from being in the NBA Finals for the fifth year in a row.

The general consensus among Warriors fans is that with Thompson and Curry healed and everyone well-rested, Golden State will simply draft a top-5 player, plug him into the starting lineup and the Warriors will make their annual run to the finals again.

So what kind of player do the Warriors need? Well, they could use a big man, one who can play the high post in the team’s pick-and-roll offense and defend the rim. But, they could also use another strong option on the wing and they could upgrade at point guard. What about depth on the bench?

Suddenly, the thought that the Warriors are simply a player away seems more and more wishful thinking. Golden State has a lot of work to do to get the team back to the level that saw them win three titles in four years. Because after the “Big Three” of Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green, what do you have? A nice surprise in forward Eric Pascal and — well, not much else. Andrew Wiggins? Jury is still out on him, but there are a lot of expectations and just as many questions about him. Are you really that excited about Marquese Chriss? Think Kevin Looney will ever be healthy again? Do you think Jordan Poole is the next great Warriors shooter?

After the top three guys, the Warriors’ depth takes a steep dive. In fact, there are many teams that have surpassed Golden State in both talent and depth on the bench. The Big Three can’t play every minute of every game.

If you’re a Warriors fan, you have to hope that general manager Bob Myers and the rest of the Warriors braintrust can work their magic. Their track record suggests they can, but they’ll need to be on top of the their game to bring the roster back up to a championship level. Because the Warriors have a number of holes to fill if they expect to contend for the title next season.

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Remember earlier in this week when I talked about silver linings? Well, you need to be miner to find one right about now.

First, the coronavirus, now wildfires — dozens in the immediate Bay Area, sparked by, of all things, lightning — are ravaging the state, making everyone and everything smell like a fireplace.

If high school sports weren’t shut down by COVID-19, the air quality would have certainly postpone practices — if there were practices being held. At least campuses are mostly empty as every school in San Mateo will use distance learning to start the school year, so there’s that.

Now all we need are torrential rains this winter and just to make it a trifecta in the hellish year that is 2020.

Oy vey. Hope everyone stays safe and healthy.

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Menlo-Atherton announced on Twitter Wednesday that longtime supporter of M-A athletics, Kitty Moore, passed away Monday at the age of 95. She was affectionately known as the Bears’ boys’ soccer team “team manager,” and served in that capacity for 43 years. She was inducted into the M-A Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014.

Nathan Mollat can be reached by email: nathan@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: 344-5200 ext. 117.