We're only one game into the 2023-24 NBA season, but that didn't stop ESPN's Jay Williams from delivering a bold statement about the Warriors' ability to contend for an NBA title.
During an episode of "First Take," Williams confidently proclaimed that the Warriors' roster is too old to be considered among the Western Conference's elite teams.
"The Golden State Warriors will be in the play-in tournament," Williams said. "We all agree that Stephen Curry has to be the Finals MVP for this team to win a championship, correct? He's turning 36 years old in March. The only player 36 years and older to win a Finals MVP is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Their age, they're on the wrong side of age. Median age in your prime is 28 years old. Klay [Thompson], Draymond [Green], 33 years old, turning 34. Also, you talk about [Chris Paul], 38 years old. That's a big thing for them, age. Age is a major thing."
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Another area that has Williams concerned is the lack of size on Golden State's roster, with big man Kevon Looney being the tallest player on the team, standing at 6-foot-9.
"Size, in the fourth quarter at the end of the game, they had CP3, Gary Payton II, and Steph Curry on the floor together, what the hell is going on?" Williams said. "Kevon Looney is the tallest player they have at 6-9, that's not going to be good, they're going to get banged up. Also Jordan Poole, last year 23 years old, averaged 20 points per game. He was the energy and scoring off the bench. They don't have depth. Even though they averaged 38 points per game off the bench, six of their top seven scorers off the bench aren't there anymore."
If Tuesday's season opener vs. the Phoenix Suns was any indicator, the Dubs will rely heavily on the duo of Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody to provide a spark as scoring threats off the bench. Both of the young wings eclipsed double digits in points, combining to shoot 8 for 14 from the field against Phoenix.
Gary Payton II had a profound impact on the game despite not scoring a single point, recording a team-high plus-15 in plus/minus rating in 22 minutes off the bench that saw him regularly disrupt the flow of the Suns' offense with his trademarked stifling on-ball defense.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors have only appeared in the current format of the play-in tournament once since its debut in the 2021 postseason, losing back-to-back heartbreaking games at the wire to the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies.
While it might take some time to sort out the chemistry for a roster with so many new faces, history tells us it is unwise to bet against this seasoned Warriors core.