NBA TV broadcasters may have a Warriors problem

The NBA scheduled the Golden State Warriors for 28 nationally-televised games this season. After an embarrassing performance in their season opener, that's looking like a poor decision.

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Warriors, 127-105, in a game they led by 34 points after three quarters. Golden State had a few injured players out, but they look nothing like a contender that should be featured in the league's premium telecasts.

Steph Curry's popularity goes only so far

The decision to put the Warriors on national television stems from the extreme popularity of Steph Curry, who has won four titles and reached the NBA Finals six times. However, Curry turns 39 this season, and simply isn't the same game-changing force he was even a few years ago.

The rest of the roster is old, injured, inexperienced or a combination of all three. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are coming back from severe knee injuries. Kristaps Porzingis is still struggling with a mysterious illness and is contemplating retirement. Draymond Green looks out of shape.

Not only does the team look uncompetitive, their coach has already cautioned fans that many of their veterans will sit out at least one game of back-to-backs. ESPN can't be thrilled that their second telecast of the season featured a game that was effectively over halfway through the third quarter. Amazon Prime and NBC/Peacock may be dreading their upcoming Warriors games as well.

Golden State Warriors don't think they're contenders either

Coach Steve Kerr has been frank about the challenges facing the team, telling The Ringer their goals aren't getting home-court advantage or even finishing in the top six in the West. He credited ownership for their willingness to spend money, but dismissed the idea that the team could trade some of its future first-round picks to upgrade the roster.

"Do we throw away our entire future to build around a 39-year-old Steph?" Kerr asked rhetorically. "He turns 39 in March, right? Does it make sense now to throw away all those picks? Hell no."

That's a prudent approach to the long-term future of the Warriors, who will have significant cap space next summer. But that's bad news for the networks who have this year's Warriors team on the schedule. Amazon Prime can't be thrilled to be broadcasting a rematch of Wednesday's blowout only nine days later.

This has happened to the NBA before. The New Orleans Pelicans were scheduled for a record number of national TV games in 2019-20, Zion Williamson's rookie season, only for Williamson to miss the first 44 games of the season. Cooper Flagg's Dallas Mavericks got 23 national games last season, but were one of the league's worst teams at 26-56.

The Warriors could be unwatchable for much of this season. At least they'll give the "Inside the NBA" crew a lot of fodder for jokes when they're unwatchable on ESPN.