The Golden State Warriors have been one of the greatest dynasties of the 21st century, but where they are now is nowhere close to where they were even just four years ago, when they won the the 2022 NBA Finals.

There has been a steady decline within the organization since winning that championship, marked by misses during the draft and the departure of key players like guard Klay Thompson, who was traded away to the Dallas Mavericks and now is set to play for the Miami Heat. 

That decline has culminated in the Warriors' disappointing 37-45 finish last regular season and a defeat during the Play-In tournament, resulting in the second time in the last three seasons that the team has missed the playoffs proper.

Looking at the Warriors' decline, the main culprit to blame has been the front office for failing to reload the team with new players or impactful stars to build around the careers of guard Steph Curry and forward Draymond Green as they aged.

This past offseason has encapsulated the criticisms around the front office. The Warriors entered into the offseason with a clear goal of landing a new superstar, whether that be forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, forward Kawhi Leonard or forward LeBron James. Yet, the Warriors landed none of those three. 

“I mean, I'm not an idiot. I know what it means in the sense of that window we had where coming off of ‘22, there were opportunities to get better, add new talent, and some worked out, some didn't. And the jury is still out on how we end this entire journey with a competitive mindset," Curry said of the front office (via NBC Sports Bay Area). 

The failures and missteps of the front office are becoming increasingly harder to defend, yet Curry, who signed an extension to stay in Golden State this offseason, remains a staunch defender of his team's executive staff, even if he's just as aware of their shortcomings.

Even if Curry himself wishes the Warriors had done more to capitalize on the team's momentum coming out of 2022, he recognizes the on-court events that also held the team back last season and is more keen to point toward those factors as the reason the team has declined, rather than lay all of the blame at the feet of the front office.

"For us to go through a year like we did last year where we had, and the year before in the playoffs, I get hurt, we take an early exit in second round... Availability was the biggest theme and we're still one game away from getting to a playoff run," Curry said. "All the other chatter doesn't necessarily matter to me in terms of how I grade our seasons.” 

It is true that the Warriors have been hurt just as much by missing the players they do have as they've been hurt by missing other players altogether. Forward Jimmy Butler, one of the big names the Warriors have managed to add in recent years, is still out with an ACL injury and Curry himself played just 43 games last season.

So there are a myriad of factors behind the way the Warriors have suffered in the standings in recent years. Still not a good thing by any means, but at least a more layered answer than simply pointing toward general management as the sole boogeyman behind the team's downfall. 

Curry affirmed his loyalty by signing his extension in the first place, so it's no surprise that he'll continue to support them now. 

But support from their franchise star only goes so far and the Warriors, both on the court and in the front office, still have their responsibilities to contribute to winning in all the ways they can. The future in Golden State will be dark if they don't.