Definitely agree with you with respect to the lack of defense. Warriors defensive rating was #1 last year, is currently 27th. Their offensive rating is #2. Offense is more expensive than defense, but overemphasis on offense is like bacon: smells great, tastes better and will kill you in the long run.
The Warriors are down to some hard choices, which I think need to be made:
1) Warriors need to trade Wiseman. He is an injury machine, and his lack of play for years really shows. His instincts are all very late -- he's late on defense, late on offense, late on transition, late on everything. I think he'll develop, but not for another three years...he needs to get a lot of playing time on a very bad team. He'll be a good player in 2026, but not for the Warriors. His salary cap hit this year is $9.6 million. Next year it's $12.1 million. Too expensive
2) Hopefully, Draymond will not exercise his player option. His play has really declined in recent years, as has his conditioning. Maybe he can get a three or four year contract from the Lakers or some other team, but his contract is an albatross. His salary cap hit is $27.6 million next year.
3) Klay's salary cap hit is $43 million. I know there's no realistic way of trading Klay. Klay used to be the best two-way player in the league. After two years of injuries, he's a very ordinary defender -- at best. Unfortunately, there's no way to get rid of him.
4) Wiggins is a comparative bargain. Keep him.
5) Hate to say it, but I think Poole needs to go. In exchange for his occasional amazing offensive play, almost everything else about him is negative. He doesn't work hard on defense. He's a bit fragile. He's a turnover machine. He's more likely to shoot than pass (this is where his admiration for Steph Curry isn't doing him any favors, he's acting like the worst of Steph at times). I can see why Draymond doesn't like him -- he's the definition of the player that the Warriors don't want and try to avoid. I know he's young, and I'm sure they hope he will mature and turn the ball over less and pass more and exert more effort on defense. We'll see.
6) I really, really hope they keep DiVincenzo. He's the anti-Poole. Not as gifted athletically, but does everything else right. He gets about 50% more steals, turns the ball over 50% less, plays hard defense (though is overmatched at times). And his 3pt shooting percentage (39.9%) is much better than Poole's (32.4%), and about the same as Wiggins (39.7%) and Klay's (39.2%). He gets more rebounds per minute than anyone on the team except Looney, Draymond and Steph. Outside of the starters, DiVincenzo has the best +/- on the team.
7) I'd like to see more of Patrick Baldwin, Jr. He's soft, but he's inexpensive and young. I think he's hungry. Maybe he needs a year in the G league.
8) Ambivalent about Moody and Rollins.
The Warriors are down to some hard choices, which I think need to be made:
1) Warriors need to trade Wiseman. He is an injury machine, and his lack of play for years really shows. His instincts are all very late -- he's late on defense, late on offense, late on transition, late on everything. I think he'll develop, but not for another three years...he needs to get a lot of playing time on a very bad team. He'll be a good player in 2026, but not for the Warriors. His salary cap hit this year is $9.6 million. Next year it's $12.1 million. Too expensive
2) Hopefully, Draymond will not exercise his player option. His play has really declined in recent years, as has his conditioning. Maybe he can get a three or four year contract from the Lakers or some other team, but his contract is an albatross. His salary cap hit is $27.6 million next year.
3) Klay's salary cap hit is $43 million. I know there's no realistic way of trading Klay. Klay used to be the best two-way player in the league. After two years of injuries, he's a very ordinary defender -- at best. Unfortunately, there's no way to get rid of him.
4) Wiggins is a comparative bargain. Keep him.
5) Hate to say it, but I think Poole needs to go. In exchange for his occasional amazing offensive play, almost everything else about him is negative. He doesn't work hard on defense. He's a bit fragile. He's a turnover machine. He's more likely to shoot than pass (this is where his admiration for Steph Curry isn't doing him any favors, he's acting like the worst of Steph at times). I can see why Draymond doesn't like him -- he's the definition of the player that the Warriors don't want and try to avoid. I know he's young, and I'm sure they hope he will mature and turn the ball over less and pass more and exert more effort on defense. We'll see.
6) I really, really hope they keep DiVincenzo. He's the anti-Poole. Not as gifted athletically, but does everything else right. He gets about 50% more steals, turns the ball over 50% less, plays hard defense (though is overmatched at times). And his 3pt shooting percentage (39.9%) is much better than Poole's (32.4%), and about the same as Wiggins (39.7%) and Klay's (39.2%). He gets more rebounds per minute than anyone on the team except Looney, Draymond and Steph. Outside of the starters, DiVincenzo has the best +/- on the team.
7) I'd like to see more of Patrick Baldwin, Jr. He's soft, but he's inexpensive and young. I think he's hungry. Maybe he needs a year in the G league.
8) Ambivalent about Moody and Rollins.
Audaces fortuna iuvat