After the Golden State Warriors were knocked out of the playoffs in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals by the Minnesota Timberwolves, the autopsy began right away.
According to one school of thought, the Warriors lost mostly because franchise player Stephen Curry injured his hamstring in Game 1 of the series and never returned. But others feel they would've lost in any case and that changes are necessary if the team is to contend for the NBA championship next season.
Draymond Green, the Warriors' emotional leader, didn't use Curry's injury as an excuse after Game 5, and he also gave credit to the Timberwolves.
The Timberwolves may have finished with a modest 49-33 record, landing them at just sixth in the West, but they won 17 of their last 21 regular-season games and were clearly on a roll coming into this series.
Golden State won 23 of its last 31 regular-season games after trading for six-time All-Star forward Jimmy Butler, but it had to survive a rough seven-game series against the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green battles for position with Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green battles for position with Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert.
Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Without Curry, it had lots of trouble creating good looks and getting easy scores offensively, and it lacked offensive balance. Reserve forward Jonathan Kuminga was a bright spot, but Butler didn't play well in three of the last four games of the series versus Minnesota, which sparked some backlash by fans on social media.
Moving forward, the Warriors need an upgrade at the center position and possibly one more 3-point sniper off the bench. They also could use a true point guard off the bench who can run the offense and create pace when Curry is resting — or injured.