What the Golden State Warriors can learn from the end of the SF Giants dynasty

It appears that the dynasty for the Golden State Warriors could be over. After a disappointing season in which they lost in the NBA play-in tournament, the team could look very different next season. The Warriors can learn from the end of the SF Giants dynasty.

What the Golden State Warriors can learn from the end of the SF Giants dynasty

Over the last decade, the Golden State Warriors have won four NBA championships. This includes the four they won in an eight-year span. It was an incredible run that had Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green at the core of all three. However, it seems like the championship days are now behind the team. The toughest part about the end of a dynasty is knowing when to move on. The Warriors seem to be closer to that decision than ever before.

They were able to win the NBA Finals two seasons ago over the Boston Celtics, but unfortunately last season, they were bounced in the playoffs by the Lakers and then lost to the Kings in the play-in this season to miss out on the playoffs.

The Warriors have shown flashes of their championship days over the last few years. Curry has been consistently great, but Green has been unreliable with his on-the-court antics and Thompson has been very inconsistent with his play. Plus, Thompson sustained two major league injuries. You have to wonder how that is affecting him now.

With Thompson being a free agent, the Warriors have a choice. They can re-sign Thompson to another deal and try to have Steph, Draymond, and Klay all finish their career with the only team that they have ever played for in the NBA. This would be the nostalgia play, but it is probably not what is best for the team at this point.

The Giants were faced with a similar decision in the late 2010's. Admittedly, these were very different circumstances. The Giants had gone several years since their 2014 World Series title, but the star of that World Series, Madison Bumgarner, was a free agent after the 2019 season. He was still pitching well for the team, but the front office had to decide whether it was worth it to bring the big lefty back on a sizable contract.

Ultimately, Farhan Zaidi decided against the nostalgia move and let Bumgarner walk in free agency. He went on to sign a big contract with the Diamondbacks where he struggled mightily and was released before the end of his deal. It was the right call by Zaidi even if it was an unpopular decision at the time.

Similarly, the 49ers dynasty of the 1980's saw many of its star players depart. Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, and Jerry Rice were all traded and did not retire with the team.

For the Warriors, it seems as if only Steph Curry will be untouchable going into this offseason. he Warriors' competitive window still runs through him. The same might not be true for Thompson or even Green. If the Warriors want to get back to contending, they will have to make hard-headed, logical decisions that are not based on nostalgia.

They must do what is best for the team, and they can take a page from what the Giants did as their dynasty went by the wayside. Of course, they will want to avoid what the Giants did by running the same core out there and hoping for different results by the end of it. This is a key offseason for Golden State and they do not have to look too far for how to proceed.