NBA News: Golden State Warriors’ Biggest Weakness Will Jeopardize Their Season

As early as now, the Golden State Warriors have risen to the top of many observers’ list to make the NBA Finals this season and understandably so.

Stephen Curry is playing like an MVP candidate while Draymond Green is playing to his strengths as a playmaker and Andrew Wiggins finally finding his footing in the league.

However, their lack of a big man will be their undoing in the postseason.

In an era where the offense is king, NBA teams still have one or two players whose main job is to play defense and get rebounds.

Multiple teams made moves in the offseason to specifically address these concerns, like the Phoenix Suns bringing in JaVale McGee, Atlanta Hawks going after Gorgui Dieng, and Los Angeles Clippers signing Isaiah Hartenstein.

On the Warriors’ active roster, no player is above 6-foot-9 as both Kevon Looney and Nemanja Bjelica are their two tallest players.

Last year’s rookie sensation in James Wiseman is yet to make his season debut as he recovers from a torn meniscus that he sustained in April.

In the Warriors’ four losses this season, their lack of big men was repeatedly exploited as teams pounded the ball in the paint while guards slashed in with little to no consequences.

The loss against the Suns and Philadelphia 76ers was an indication of what an indication of their glaring hole at center as both Deandre Ayton and Joel Embiid feasted in the paint, while the Charlotte Hornets and San Antonio Spurs used their depth to its fullest.

But credit to where credit is due.

Guys like Wiggins, Jordan Poole and Juan Toscano-Anderson have stepped up admirably this season providing the Warriors an injection of youth and stellar all-around play to help relieve the pressure off of Curry.

Klay Thompson is expected to be back before the calendar year ends and that will make them even more formidable once he gets back to speed.

Without a traditional big man in the paint, the Warriors’ hopes of title contention may get shunted as early as the first round of the playoffs.

Playing small-ball most of the time with Looney and the six-foot-six Toscano-Anderson can only succeed for so long as teams lock in defensively even more in the postseason, mainly going after Curry.

Shutting down Curry is the main priority of the 29 other teams in the league, but the Suns and Sixers did it the best as lengthy and agile forwards Mikal Bridges and Matisse Thybulle repeatedly hounded him the entire length of the floor.

The Warriors cannot completely rely on Curry to carry the team in the postseason and having both Thompson and Wiseman back does alleviate most concerns, but they still need a major presence in the paint regardless.

Having a reliable presence in the paint that can somewhat play both ends of the ball will go a long way in helping improve their chances at a title run.