Getty Jordan Poole reacts during Game Six of the 2022 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics.
After taking a relatively brief hiatus from dominating the competition, the Golden State Warriors are once again the class of the NBA. Not only that — they’re arguably the envy of the league, too, for what they’ve been able to build behind their championship core.
Having Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins to lead the way is one thing, somehow cultivating a youth movement filled with former lottery picks and potential All-Stars alongside them takes the Dubs to a whole other level.
That said, not everyone is head-over-heels in love with Jordan Poole after his breakout last season, or sold on James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and/or Moses Moody as can’t-miss prospects.
Over the weekend, Sports Illustrated attempted to rank the best young cores in the Association, and while fans and pundits alike have been raving about the Dubs’ up-and-comers, they didn’t rate particularly well on the list.
Warriors Land Near the Bottom
In order to qualify as a member of a young core, players had to be at least one of the following: a recent lottery pick, under 27 on opening night with one or more All-Star appearances, a potential All-Star aged 25 or younger or under age 24 with 20-plus career win shares.
Teams also had to have at least four qualifying players to register as a squad with a young core.
Under those requirements, 16 teams fit the bill for the rankings and, surprisingly, the Dubs hit the list all the way down at No. 15. Wrote SI’s Michael Shapiro:
“Poole will earn a nine-figure contract next offseason, though it’s unclear whether that will be with Golden State. It’s also unclear which of the following trio will pop as starting-caliber players. Moody should stick in the league for years to come, while Kuminga has All-Star tools despite stretches of inconsistency. As for Wiseman, any contribution in 2022–23 should be viewed as a success.”
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On the Other Hand…
Before we get all in a huff about the Warriors’ placement here, there are definitely some things to be taken into consideration about the list.
First and foremost, there’s the fact that half of the league has been excluded due to not really having an actual core of prospects and young stars to grade. So, it’s not a stretch to say that Golden State outranks all of those clubs with this particular evaluation.
Moreover, the prerequisites for players to be included in this list or so broad that a slew of multiyear All-Stars and guys who have been around the block have been included — Jayson Tatum, Karl-Anthony Towns, Devin Booker, Trae Young, Jaylen Brown et al. — which also works against GSW.
If the aim was to rank clubs based solely on players in their first four seasons or aged 23 and younger, Golden State would undoubtedly warrant a much higher ranking.
Finally, as much as Dub Nation loves its young guns, the reality is that only Poole contributed to last year’s championship march in a meaningful way. Kuminga and Co. may look to be on the fast track to stardom, but they still have to go out and show what they can do.
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