At 22-18, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves firmly ensconced in the middle tier of the Western Conference pack — they're currently the No. 6 seed, although that could change depending on the result of their Tuesday clash against the 6-35 Washington Wizards.

And don’t forget, this past offseason, the Warriors lost a $30 million chunk of salary when they jettisoned Chris Paul strictly for luxury tax avoidance. The NBA owners wanted a system that brought big-market, big-spending teams like the Warriors to heel, and they received it.

The Golden State Warriors will be without four key players when they square off against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

When speaking on TNT's Inside The NBA following the Warriors loss, Kenny Smith proposed the front office takes drastic action. Rather than trading for another aging superstar, Smith believes it's time for the front office to rebuild the roster with more young players around Curry.

The new-look Warriors starting lineup for Wednesday's matchup is Steph Curry, Buddy Hield, Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, and Kevon Looney. Payton and Looney have each started just five games this season, while Hield has started ten.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr speaks to reporters ahead of Golden State's matchup against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday at Golden 1 Center.Kerr explains why Warriors need ‘spark' before game vs. Kings

The Warriors have had to stomach some brutal losses this season, and the most recent, a 40-point drubbing by the Boston Celtics, is high on the list.