Getty Golden State Warriors Bench.
The Golden State Warriors title defense hasn’t been as strong as many fans were expecting it to be. Through their first 50 games, the Dubs have a record of just 26-24 and have been horrendous on the road, winning just 7 of 25 games. As Golden State heads into Wednesday’s matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, they have won three straight.
According to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole, the February 1 game could prove to be a big one for the Warriors. Poole discussed the importance of both Wednesday and Thursday’s games for the Dubs in his February 1 article.
“It is believed that the next two games, Wednesday night at Minnesota and Thursday night at Denver, will have some influence on how aggressively the Warriors proceed approaching the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline,” he explained.
Poole then pinpointed what he’s heard the organization is looking for out of the team.
“A split of the two games would suffice, particularly with some regulars almost certain to rest against the Western-Conference-leading Nuggets – despite Stephen Curry saying, ‘I usually campaign to play every night.’ That places a high priority on beating the improving Timberwolves, who have won 11 of their last 15 games,” Poole added.
Warriors Having ‘Internal Discussions’ About Trading For Matisse Thybulle
If the Warriors were to make a trade, the player that they move for could very well be Matisse Thybulle of the Philadelphia 76ers.
In a February 1 article, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Dubs have had “internal discussions” regarding a trade for the Sixers wing.
“Multiple NBA sources said the Golden State Warriors have had internal discussions about Thybulle and that they do like him as a defensive stopper,” Pompey wrote. “The Sacramento Kings are also reportedly monitoring his availability. A league source confirmed the interest, saying Kings coach Mike Brown is a fan of Thybulle, who would add a defensive presence to Sacramento’s starting lineup. The Kings (28-21), who surprisingly sit at third place in the Western Conference, are pondering upgrades for a postseason push after an NBA-record 16 straight seasons without a playoff appearance. The Kings’ and Warriors’ interest makes sense and is something to pay attention to.”
Thybulle has been having a dow-year this season. He is averaging 2.7 points and 1.2 rebounds on 43.5% shooting from the field and 33.3% shooting from distance. However, Thybulle is best known for his defensive abilities. He was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team in each of the past two seasons.
Warriors Interested in Trading James Wiseman at Deadline: Report
While Thybulle could be a player that the Warriors trade for, James Wiseman could very well be one that they move on from.
According to Fox Sports’ Rich Bucher, Golden State has shown interest in trading the 21-year-old big man.
“The Warriors, a league source said, have indicated in conversations with other teams that the development of third-year center James Wiseman is not aligning with their hopes of squeezing another championship from the core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green,” Bucher wrote.
Wiseman, who the Warriors drafted No. 2 overall in 2020, hasn’t logged any minutes for the team in over a month, last checking in against the Utah Jazz on December 28.