After being within reach of a third consecutive NBA championship, the Golden State Warriors underwent an unprecedented transformation from a uniquely and historically dominant team to a franchise thrust into a rebuild in less than six months.

DeMarcus Cousins’ torn quad injury last May kicked off an unbelievable series of unfortunate events that culminated with Stephen Curry’s broken hand just five games into the new season.

Though the combination of Klay Thompson’s injury, Kevin Durant’s departure, Andre Iguodala’s trade, and Shaun Livingston’s retirement stripped away the Warriors of its surefire contender status, the addition of D’Angelo Russell to an experienced core of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Kevon Looney meant that Golden State was going to fight for a playoff spot and an improbable title run.

Despite its three All-Star lineup, these Warriors could not afford any missed time from the two-time MVP. In a competitive Western Conference, losing Curry for at least three months is a disaster that effectively ends their playoff hopes.

Three blowout losses in the first four games of the season started to raise some concerns, but it was Curry’s injury that ultimately forced the Warriors to change course and commit to a youth movement.

The Warriors have rested Green and Russell in two of the team’s first three Curry-less games with injuries, marking the unofficial beginning to the two stars’ long “load management” campaign this year.

Without any postseason expectations weighing them down, the Warriors’ young players now have a pressure-free year to showcase and develop their talents.

Eric Paschall headlines a class of exciting young players who can get better each day and lead the charge throughout the season.

Paschall, the 41st overall pick in the 2019 Draft, has already risen to the occasion to seize the opportunity.

Against the Charlotte Hornets, Paschall scored 25 points on 56 percent shooting. Though he had a productive night, he told the media afterward that he’d rather secure wins than personal stats.

On Wednesday night, he found a way to get the Warriors their first win in Chase Center on his 23rd birthday, no less.

Paschall scored 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds en route to an impressive victory against the Portland Trailblazers, looking like a seasoned vet and establishing himself as the go-to guy for a young and inexperienced team. He shot 58 percent from the field, went 4-6 from three-point range, and made all eight of his free-throw attempts as “MVP” chants rained down from the Chase Center crowd.

Paschall’s performance earned shoutouts from Curry and Green on Instagram after the game, highlighting the overall buzz surrounding the rookie. He has a quick first step, power inside the paint, and a soft touch around the rim. Against the Blazers, he looked comfortable knocking down jumpers from around the perimeter.

Paschall probably isn’t going to average 30 points for the season — especially as defenses key in on him — but his explosive offense should become a valuable option for the Warriors moving forward as he gains experience.

And in the short term, Paschall helped set a tone for the rest of the year with his play.

The Warriors’ inexperience and youth will lose them a lot of games to more talented teams, but they can remain competitive. They can play high-energy basketball, develop skills and roles, and build good habits.

While Paschall seems to be ahead of the curve, Curry’s injury opened up opportunities for everyone to step up and, so far, there’s been a positive response.

Jordan Poole, the Warriors’ 2019 first-round pick, has struggled with his efficiency, but he stays in attack mode.

He’s displayed some high-level skill with the ball in his hands, breaking Damian Lillard down with a smooth stepback three-pointer in a 16-point, 5-assist effort in the win.

As Curry and Russell watch from the sidelines, Poole will get the chance to be the Warriors’ primary perimeter bucket-getter. If the rookie finds consistency in his shot, it’ll open up driving and playmaking opportunities.

Golden State is going to need a scoring punch off the bench next year and these starter reps are going to go a long way in his development as a flamethrowing specialist.

Ky Bowman has assumed the starting point guard role in Russell’s absence and he’s shown that he belongs in the NBA.

Playing on a two-way deal, he’s averaged 17.5 points, 6.0 assists, and 5.5 rebounds on 60 percent shooting as a starter lining up across from Terry Rozier and Lillard. Bowman is tenacious, picking up his man full-court most of the time.

He’s a high-energy player that can be a productive role player for Golden State to surround its key players with.

At 27-years-old, Damion Lee is one of the older players on the team, but he only has 47 regular-season games under his belt as he enters his third NBA season.

He had his best game as a Warrior in their win against the New Orleans Pelicans, scoring 23 points on 57 percent shooting while grabbing 11 rebounds in 27 minutes of action. He was 4-of-6 from beyond-the-arc and he looked as comfortable as ever in an NBA uniform.

With Poole’s insertion into the starting lineup, Lee can become this year’s Warriors’ offensive focal point off the bench. Unlike last year, Lee is going to have a defined and consistent role within the team’s rotation. He offers shotmaking ability and experience to a team in need of both.

While he struggles to create his own look off the dribble, Lee now has the opportunity to open eyes around the league as a shooter.

The Warriors’ new post-Curry offense is going to create looks for shooters and open the floor up with a heavier influx of pick-and-roll and isolation plays.

The offense has generated shots for Omari Spellman, who’s always ready to let it fly as a stretch big. In fifteen minutes of action, Spellman scored seven points, knocked down his only three-point attempt, and grabbed six rebounds in 15 minutes.

Spellman is an undersized center, but he can establish a physical presence down low, grab rebounds, and finish off plays.

Even Russell and Kevon Looney, veterans with playoff experience, are both just 23-years-old. When they both return from injury, they’ll be asked to step up as leaders.

Russell will have the same offensive role as he did with the Brooklyn Nets, but the Warriors will require him to dig in defensively, an important development if he wants to enter a new tier of stardom. Looney, who has given a look at the progress on his jumper, will be re-joining the first version of the Warriors that will need him to provide consistent offensive output.

The biggest advantage of a Curry-less stretch that has shifted the goals of the season is that players have the freedom to make mistakes and grow from them.

Over the last several seasons, we saw how quickly Kerr would pull Jordan Bell from games after errors -- especially mental ones -- and bench him for random stretches, depending on how the team was doing.

When championships are on the line, you can’t afford to allow young players to work through lapses.

But the 2019-20 Warriors are in a different place -- this team is primarily made up of young or inexperienced players who are finding their place in the league and on the team.

The best way to grow is to compete, make mistakes, learn from them, and apply what you learned. That’s the opportunity that everyone has in front of them as the spotlight and pressure shifts away from them.

When Curry returns in three or four months, the game will become easier for them; the shots become a little more wide open and the floor becomes more spread. And when Thompson returns -- whether that’s later this year or next season -- they can turn all of what they developed into winning basketball.

Steve Kerr is going to have to make some tough decisions when re-incorporating the vets — does Paschall return to the bench if he continues to produce at a high level when Green returns? — but there’s a golden opportunity to use this year’s circumstances to extend their championship window by allowing the potential in the Warriors to flourish.

This is the first time since the 2012 Draft Class that the Warriors asked several young players to take on large roles. Fortunately for them, this might be their most talented group since selecting Green, Harrison Barnes, and Festus Ezeli.

Led by Eric Paschall, the 2019-20 Golden State Warriors’ young roster gets to grow up under the wings of a championship core. They can build on this “gap year” and contribute to winning basketball in just a year.