All things eventually fade to black. What team is best prepared to eventually become the next NBA dynasty when the “Big Three” of the Golden State Warriors leave the “ring”?
After a two-year hiatus, the Golden State Warriors are back to where they definitely think they belong – the top of the NBA mountain, and they’re ready once again for the NBA Finals. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have been on the greatest stage in the NBA five times before, winning three championships during that time and establishing themselves as a dynasty force in this era. The cast around them have changed during this tour, but they always have been.
This consistency puts them in a position to prove that when healthy, they are the pro basketball class. But all things dies, and the Warriors star just isn’t getting any younger (no offense, Jonathan Cominga and James Wiseman). While Golden State is set up to remain competitive beyond the current “Big Three”, losing three future Hall of Famers will take their toll, and the Warriors will back out at some point.
The fact of life that shines in sports – that everything has an expiration date – should lead us to wonder who would be better off taking the throne than the Golden State when their time actually came?
Here are three teams well prepared to step up as the Warriors dynasty fades into history.
3. New Orleans Pelicans
The warrior model was to craft well and add talent where possible via agency and free trade. Curry/Green/Thompson were all Golden State NBA Draft picks, as were other majors like Kevon Looney and Jordan Poole. But Andrew Wiggins was traded for, and Otto Porter Jr. was a free signature for the agent. Gary Payton II and Damion Lee were incredible players who had an impact for the Warriors on their current path as well.
The New Orleans Pelicans have a similar mix of talent that began to coalesce after the trade of CJ McCollum. Jonas Valanciunas and Brandon Ingram weren’t a pick for New Orleans, but their acquisitions made the Pelican attack more dangerous. Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy III, and Jackson Hayes are all picks of the Pelicans who have contributed to their upward swing, especially Jones who evokes the spirit of Draymond Green as a second-round pick with great defensive skill.
Jose Alvarado was an unpolished guard who made an impact on New Orleans, and all of those players had a role in the Pelicans’ future. Add to the potential that a healthy Zion Williamson offers as a star-caliber end player, and the future is very bright in New Orleans.
They have to win first, of course, which has hitherto eluded pelicans in the era of Zion. However, McCollum’s trade made this team feel differently about entering next season. After a miserable start from 6-17 through November, the Pelicans finished the season 30-29 without Williamson and perhaps most importantly they seemingly enjoy playing together and for each other. Chemistry is an essential part of long-term success, Warriors have shown us.
For the first time in a long time, there is clear positive energy coming from New Orleans. That, and the talent they gained as well as another selection for the NBA lottery later this month in the NBA draft, add up to a team poised to rise in the Western Conference rankings in the coming years.
2. Memphis Grizzlies
Unfortunately for the New Orleans Pelicans, the Memphis Grizzlies are not only in their conference, they are also in their division. And while the Southwest Division’s historically winning champions have had trouble with the Zion-led Pelicans, Ja Morant and the company are ready to make improvements of their own on an already solid roster brimming with pure emotion.
One of the youngest NBA teams to win a playoff series in years, the Grizzlies are the “Big Three” in place that looks different than Curry/Thompson/Green but could have the same effect. Ja Morant may not have Steph Curry’s kit (who has?), but his electric offensive talent and ability to reach the basket make him the most real fun to watch in action since Curry hit the scene.
Garen Jackson Jr. and Draymond Green share the Michigan State Spartandum, as well as an uncanny ability to influence games defensively. And Klay Thompson’s ability to hit 3 and be a great match alongside Curry matches Desmond Bane’s elite pool and matches Ja Morant’s skill set.
All three are from Bane / Morant / Jackson Jr. They are 23 years old or younger. All three numbers are in the long-term plans for the Memphis Grizzlies. NBA Best Executive Director Zach Kleiman has as much flexibility as any general manager in the league to shape this team around these three as he sees fit.
Free agency has never been a strong suit for Memphis, but the allure of playing Morant and his buddies could change that and the Grizzlies could free up more than $20 million in cover space this summer if they so chose. The Memphis also have all of their first-round picks as well as Utah’s No. 22 in this draft and the first 2024 Golden State Warriors that the Grizzlies took over when they took up Andre Iguodala’s contract a few years ago.
Names like OG Anunoby, Myles Turner, Malcolm Brogdon, Harrison Barnes and even Karl-Anthony Towns are rumored to be reasonable targets by trade for Grizzlies here, there and everywhere. And all (except for cities, but even with enough choices that might not be required) can be had without Memphis charging one of its local “Big Three” when combining well-structured contracts (De’Anthony Melton, Dillon Brooks) With enlistment choices and young developmental talents (Zaire Williams).
This is a testament to what Kleiman, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins and the rest of the Memphis organization have done over the past three and a half years. They are already contenders in the NBA Championship, having set the second best record in the NBA this past season. And they have all the tools available to continue that ascent to play in June as early as next year. No playoff team has yet given the Warriors the test that Memphis had in the Western Conference semifinal series.
Golden State deservedly won in 2022. Will it be true the next time these two teams meet in the post-season?
1. Boston Celtics
It’s fitting that the Warriors try to return to the top of the NBA against the best-equipped team to be the next family when the Golden State Hall of Fame leaves the stage. Led by legitimate top-five NBA player Jason Tatum and legitimate top-20 player Jaylen Brown, both under 26, enters the Celtics header of their current address window.
This isn’t just because of Brown and Tatum. Marcus Smart has become a cult hero in Boston for his defensive tenacity, becoming the first non-big defensive player of the year since Kawhi Leonard in 2016. Robert Williams and Grant Williams have been important cogs in the Celtics’ defensive machine this season. Well, both of them—plus the previously mentioned Tatum/Brown/Smart—are draft picks from Celtics.
Their core is a deeper five, and that doesn’t even mention Payton Pritchard, who plays a major role for them in their offensive schemes. Then add in key acquisitions like Al Horford and Derrick White, and you look at a team designed to be defensive dominant while providing a spacing around offensively explosive Jayson Tatum.
The only current player to have scored more than 1,000 minutes over the age of 30 this season for Boston is Al Horford (35). Every other major shareholder is 27 years old or younger. They are about to take on the dynasty of Golden State Warriors for the right to call themselves the NBA Champion.
Sure enough, the warriors weren’t finished yet. They’ve got the right to say that when they’re healthy, they remain the norm in the NBA when it comes to excellence. But Father Time is still undefeated. Comes the end of all empires. The question is, will Golden State regain its throne? Or are they likely to pass the torch to the next great NBA dynasty?
To be the man, you have to defeat the man. The Boston Celtics are about to get their chance. But the Golden State Warriors have been waiting for three years to get back to this stage. They will not go lightly into the history books.
The NBA Finals begin Thursday, June 2 in San Francisco, California. Game 1 ends at 9:00 ET.
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