Just a year ago, the Golden State Warriors were the closest thing to must-watch basketball as the NBA could produce. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson launching three-pointers, Draymond Green barking at Kevin Durant, Demarcus Cousins on the road to recovery, all on the same basketball court equaled the perfect slice of NBA content.
Five straight NBA Finals, three NBA championships and a legendary cast of characters made Golden State the NBA’s destination for eyeballs. Fast forward to one quarter through the NBA 2019-20 season, things are entirely different.
The “Splash Brothers” are injured, Durant is in Brooklyn, Cousins is with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Warriors have a league-low, five wins. With the drop in star-power and lackluster record, the NBA is flexing the Warriors from another nationally televised primetime game.
USA Today’s Mark Medina reported ESPN would no longer broadcast the Warriors versus Pelicans game on December 20 at Chase Center.
ESPN will no longer televise the Warriors-Pelicans game on Friday. That was considered a marquee game opening the season presuming a healthy Steph Curry and Zion Williamson. That is no longer the case. ESPN also picking up Lakers-Mavs game on Dec. 29
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) December 17, 2019
Initially, the Friday nights tilt was to be headlined by Curry, Thompson and D’Angelo Russell against the 2019 NBA first overall draft pick Zion Williamson, but three of those four are now on the shelf. On top of the injuries, the Warriors and Pelicans have combined for 11 wins and 45 losses— the two bottom teams in the Western Conference.
Earlier in December, the NBA flexed two other Warriors featured games from the primetime schedule. If Golden State’s season continues to head down the path they’re on; this won’t be their last matchup removed from national television. Although, Golden State will still get a Christmas day broadcast against the Houston Rockets.