4 Reasons the Golden State Warriors Will Miss the Playoffs in 2019-20

The 2019-2020 NBA season is officially here. And with all the offseason moves that transpired, the landscape of the league looks completely different. The former powerhouse that was the Golden State Warriors is no longer. In fact, Steve Kerr's recent announcement that Klay Thompson is unlikely to play this season brings into question whether or not the team will even make the playoffs.

So here are four reasons they won't.

4. Steph Curry's Health

With Steph Curry going back to being the primary scoring option, expect him to put up similar numbers to his 2016 MVP season. But carrying this offensive load may lead to disaster for the superstar point guard. Curry has had ankle issues in the past, and there's no guarantee they won't return with the amount he's going to be asked to do. If he misses a significant amount of time, the Warriors will not be playing in May.

3. Willie Cauley-Stein Missing Time

One area the Warriors really struggled in last season was rim protection due to a lack of a big that could man the paint. They picked up Willie Cauley-Stein over the summer to solve this problem, but the center suffered a foot injury that could keep him out for the first month. Combine that with the poor backcourt defense, and Golden State will simply give up too many points.

2. Lack of Wings

This is a major issue for the Warriors. With Kevin Durant gone and Klay Thompson out, Golden State will have to rely on the likes of Jordan Poole, Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III to provide quality minutes at the wing position. Not one of these guys should be a starter on any playoff team.

1. Backcourt Defense

A lot of this has to do with Thompson possibly missing the season. His stellar defense is often overlooked because of his shooting, but the drop off in the perimeter defense will be noticed. D'Angelo Russell can get buckets with ease, but expect him and Steph Curry to get torched by opposing guards on a consistent basis.