Kurtenbach: The Warriors aren’t preserving the future — they’re giving up

The Warriors have given up.

Try as they might, there’s no other way to sell it; no other way to spin it.

The Dubs might provide lip service, saying they can put this season back on the right track and that there’s another 12-3 run in them. But they know what the score is: It’s their sub-.500 record in the standings and their incredible slide into irrelevance since Thanksgiving.

And now, at the season’s nadir, it’s clear that they suspect there isn’t a fix that can correct this squad’s woes.

So instead of freaking out, they’re giving in.

They’re wallowing in misery, accepting their mediocrity, and promoting organizational prudence as a coping mechanism.

Yes, the Warriors—at least the Warriors whose opinions matter, Steph Curry, Steve Kerr, and Draymond Green—are now keen to talk about this franchise’s future and how foolish it would be for anyone to jeopardize it for the sake of maximizing this season.

“You have to be realistic organizationally about where you are, ” Kerr said. “And you have to keep in mind what’s coming ahead in the future. I probably won’t be around, but I would tell you, if this organization gave away the next six or seven drafts for a wild swing, that would be the most irresponsible thing they could do.”

Indeed, it would be.

But who said anything about a wild swing or a super-package of draft picks? Surely that can’t be the only path to improve these Warriors?

Nevertheless, Curry added this:

“Desperate trades or desperate moves that deplete the future… there is a responsibility on keeping the franchise in a good space and good spot… where we leave this thing when we’re done,” he said.

And as for Green:

“The beautiful part about being in the space that we’re in is, Steve Kerr, Steph Curry, and myself all disagree with mortgaging off the future of this organization, saying that we’re going for it right now,” the forward told Yahoo Sports last week. “Bad teams do that. Bad organizations do that. We’re not [either] one.”

That quote came before the Warriors subsequently lost — make that 17 of their last 24 — to the now-nine-win Raptors, arguably the league’s worst team.

But sure, the Warriors are not a bad team. Let’s go with that.

As for the organization? Perhaps “bad” is too heavy of an adjective — we’re not talking about the Hornets here. But the Warriors can no longer consider themselves a good or great organization. Yes, Father Time comes for everyone, and the Warriors’ dynastic run would never last forever. Still, the fact that Green and Kerr and Curry are deflecting notions that Golden State has turned into an also-ran in both the standings and in league stature is informative, no?

I can assure you that unquestionably good organizations never have to deflect such questions.

And they certainly don’t find themselves a few steps behind on nearly everything. Remember, these Warriors were late to recognize that this current edition of the Dubs would require a true No. 2 scorer next to Curry or, at least, a bit of spacing at center to allow Green to play forward. But because they didn’t make such moves in the summer, they’re now in a position where acquiring such a player (or players) would be considered a “wild swing.” All of this was because the Dubs’ front office — given quarter by the team’s stars and coach (one that persists) — was stuck in a state of indecision about whether to prioritize the present or the future.

The good news is Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy and the Lacob family now have their answer to that paralyzing question, as the three most important Dubs have all rendered a public verdict:

Go with the future.

And in a few years, it’ll look like an incredible mistake.

Because what is the future the Warriors are preserving here?

This team isn’t operating on two timelines — they don’t even have one that’s worthwhile right now.

Surely, the Warriors don’t think some collection of Kuminga, Brandon Podziemski, and Trayce Jackson-Davis constitutes a continuation of this franchise’s once-winning ways.

The Warriors (rightly) don’t believe Kuminga is a max-contract player, but they’ll go all-in on him as this team’s future centerpiece?

Make it make sense!

Are we talking about a future filled with lottery balls, hoping that they bounce the right way? That was the Dubs’ future for roughly 20 years before Curry broke out as an MVP. Now that he’s lost a step, the Warriors’ best plan is to hope they can find another one?

Hey, maybe they can draft the next James Wiseman.

There’s hubris, and then there’s downright stupidity. Banking on a vague and fanciful “future” would qualify as the latter.

In Curry, Green, and Kerr, the Warriors were able to build something historic amid a basketball wasteland. I understand that they’ve turned the laughingstock franchise into a premier organization in professional sports, but to pretend as if their success is the new status quo is aggressive. (And that’s the nice way to put it.)

Kerr should know. Nearly 30 years later, his former team, the Chicago Bulls, are still in their post-Michael Jordan future, having won five total playoff series since 1998. And that’s with the ping-pong balls bouncing their way more than a few times (eight top-five picks, including No. 1 in 1999 and 2008) and found incredible luck a few times after that (Jimmy Butler as the last pick in the 2011 first round).

But don’t worry, the Bulls — bastions of mediocrity and wholly unimportant in the NBA landscape — still have a packed house at the United Center night after night. So what’s the incentive to get better?

Yes, maybe I’m the dummy here. Perhaps the Warriors don’t need to do anything because they already have their season-ticket holders on 30-year contracts. With a borderline compulsory audience, you only need to put out something faintly resembling basketball to keep the coffers full.

Why bother taking a risk?

After all, it’s much easier to embrace the unexciting, wholly irrelevant present and future and pretend that you’re doing the right thing by doing nothing.