Warriors' best path forward is adding a big man

The mid-season addition of Jimmy Butler was unable to save the Golden State Warriors' season. 

Steve Kerr's team was eliminated from the playoffs on Wednesday. The Warriors lost four of their five games against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Stephen Curry's absence was a notable factor in the Warriors' inability to remain competitive against last seasons Western Conference Finalists. 

In a May 15 appearance on ESPN's "SportsCenter," NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Golden State will be aggressive this summer. Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Joe Lacob are expected to pursue high-level roster upgrades where possible.

"The Warriors will be incredibly aggressive in the marketplace to go find help to continue to retool around their Big 3," Charania said. "...Their priority is finding a playmaking wing defender or a center."

Adding another wing would undoubtedly improve the Warriors' roster. However, it's clear that the biggest hole in the current rotation is the lack of size in the middle of the floor. Draymond Green is too old to be spending such large stretches of games manning the middle. He also doesn't have the necessary size to compete with some of the giants around the league. 

According to Cleaning The Glass, the Warriors ranked 22nd in rim defense this season. Opposing teams shot 67.5% within four feet of the Warriors' basket, and that's despite the Warriors being the best team in the NBA at limiting rim attempts. 

A genuine rim-protector would drastically improve Golden State' rim defense and their 18th-ranked rim efficiency on offense. The league is trending away from small ball, and right now, the Warriors are being left behind. 

So as Dunleavy approaches the upcoming offseason, he must address the one area where the Warriors have consistently fallen short in recent years. With Stephen Curry, Green and Butler all deep into their 30s, the Warriors can't try to outsmart the league anymore. They must add legitimate size if they want a shot at competing next season.