The Golden State Warriors are officially in unprecedented territory this season. After a loss to the low-ranked Toronto Raptors, their record slipped to 19-20, dipping below .500 for the first time this season. The result made fans’ cries for the organization to act, specifically in the trade market louder. However, there is also an understanding within the franchise. “We are not about to mortgage our future for right now,” Draymond Green said.

And as much as such upsets might sting, even Stephen Curry agrees with those sentiments.

Much of the trade conversations have been incited because the Chef is at the deep end of his career. Naturally, the objective is to lead one last stretch toward a championship with Curry as the epicenter. But for him, keeping the franchise in a healthy place after he leaves means much more than sacrificing all the pawns to increase the team’s title aspirations.

“Desperate trades or desperate moves that deplete the future like there’s a responsibility of keeping the franchise in a good space when it comes to where we leave this place when we’re done… If you have an opportunity or a trade makes sense or in the summer if free agency makes sense, you want to continue to get better. Nobody wants to stay stable in that situation where you’re passing up opportunities. But doesn’t mean you are desperate, flinging assets all around the place just because you want to do something,” he said after the loss to the Raptors.

This sounds sweet for other teams in the NBA knowing the Warriors won’t let their pockets loose. But if the right player does become available, “I’m pretty sure we’d know about it. That’s how we’ve always operated. That’s the expectation now to February 6th,” said the two-time MVP.

Stephen Curry and the Warriors are playing unlike themselves

When the season began, the Golden State Warriors had a set philosophy. They wanted to continue shooting the ball and use it to re-organize their defense as quickly as possible. For the first two months, the plans seemed to work flawlessly. However, since December is when the downfall began.

The team shot a year-worst 33.3% from distance, far from their average. Likewise, they refrained from taking as many triples, leading to a loss of tenacity on the glass. The ripple effect has now affected their defense. Opponents are generating easy points through fast breaks and turnovers against the Golden State Warriors.

Since the start of December, the Warriors concede the 9th most points through fast breaks. Before that date, they had one of the most prolific defenses in the league, allowing just 11 points on such motions. Such a decline has become the utmost cause of the Bay’s faltering season. However, it also reflects the potential the team holds.

The Warriors have arguably the hardest task at hand. They have to regain their lost identity. It’s not the first time Stephen Curry and Co. have gone through such adversity in their career. But with so much on the line in the coming seasons, repositioning themselves and attaining their hounding intensity again is paramount.

A trade can surely help. However, one player can’t spark a change within the entire team. Remember, this is the exact group of personnel that held one of the top records in the league at one point this year. So their blueprint breeds results. It’s all about getting back to that level once again.

Defensively, the Warriors need to be a lot more compact and united. On the other side, shooting is their virtue. Once they gain momentum from beyond the arc, this team is a threat to any of the title contenders of this season. Do you think confidence is all that Stephen Curry and the Warriors need or is a trade the only alternative at this point in the season? Let us know your views in the comments below.