The NBA is at its All-Star break, and all eyes will be on Los Angeles for the weekend. While players will be showcasing their talents during the festivities, most of the NBA will be taking time off to get ready for the home stretch of the season. 

The break is a time for each team to evaluate its expectations for the rest of the season. One team that has a lot to evaluate is the Golden State Warriors. 

At 29-26, they are currently the eight seed in the Western Conference standings with 27 games left in the season. The main question surrounding the organization heading into the break is what its expectations are for the rest of the season.

The Warriors have had a year filled with adversity, losing Jimmy Butler to a season-ending ACL injury and trading Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks for center Kristaps Porzingis at the trade deadline. The expected split between the Warriors and Kuminga came true.

Despite those factors, there is still optimism within the organization about what it can accomplish this season. 

Health of Kristaps Porzingis, effectiveness of new-look roster will play into Golden State Warriors’ success

They’re in a play-in-game position, and with how many games they have won so far, along with many teams not trying to win, it is too late to tank for a better draft pick like so many teams are doing this year.

With Butler out for the season, Steph Curry rehabbing a sore knee and new Porzingis potentially debuting after the All-Star break, general manager and president of basketball operations Mike Dunleavy Jr. said the expectations are unknown for the roster right now. Head coach Steve Kerr believes they are in a good spot as a roster heading into the break. 

In a season filled with drama with Kuminga and injuries to key players like Curry and Butler, there are still some aspects to get excited about during the second half of the season. There has been a desperation within the fanbase for a legitimate stretch big man, and with the addition of Porzingis, they will finally get their wish. 

A big question is whether Porzingis can stay healthy. If he can, he adds a legitimate stretch big man to their offensive system.  He would also add an aspect of rim protection and vertical spacing with lob threats, putting the type of pressure on the rim they haven’t had since Andrew Bogut and JaVale McGee. 

If Porzingis can stay healthy, and it’s a big if, he will be an immediate impact player who can help them win this year and be the dominant force they have been looking for at the center position for quite some time. These next 27 games will be a trial period for the roster to see if they can compete with the top teams in the Western Conference.

With the new-look roster heading into the All-Star break and potentially adding Curry and Porzingis into the fold after it, the Warriors will have a roster that can potentially compete and attack any type of challenges that present themselves on the court. 

Prominent pillars in the organization like Dunleavy and Kerr may not be expecting a championship this year, but with all the experience and talent on the roster, the expectation should be to put the best product on the floor. 

Trying to compete and win as much as possible with the situation they have been dealt, and seeing where the chips fall at the end of the season, will truly show how far this team is now to being a championship-caliber contender.