Golden State Warriors Season Preview
A year after beating the Boston Celtics and capturing their fourth title in nine years, Golden State Warriors were eliminated in the Western Conference Semifinals by LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. The loss sparked talks of whether the Warriors dynasty is finally coming to end. Many believe it is, as the cornerstones of the dynasty are nearing the end of their Hall of Fame careers. Stephen Curry has yet to show any sign of slowing down, but he will turn 36 this season, and it is inevitable he will start losing a step to the new up and coming stars like Ja Morant and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are both only 33, but the two years off from basketball due to major injuries have clearly impacted Thompson and while Green is still a phenomenal defensive player, his offensive abilities seem to have largely disappeared. Lastly Andre Iguodala has not officially retired, but all signs point towards him doing so. And even if he decides to stay another year, he provides basically nothing on the court, as he is a year away from 40 and coming off several injuries.
Despite the aging of their stars, many others are confident the Warriors still remain in championship contention. It was a critical offseason and a myriad of big moves were made. Before getting into these moves, it is worth mentioning that the Warriors front office endured some turnover in major places as beloved General Manager Bob Myers stepped down and was replaced by Mike Dunleavy Jr. on June 16th. Dunleavy Jr. wasted no time making perhaps the biggest move of the offseason six days later, trading young star Jordan Poole for veteran point guard Chris Paul. The move sent shockwaves throughout the league and media, with many people having differing opinions. For starters, Paul has had long standing beef with Warriors so people are skeptical of how the team will gel and form chemistry. Moreover, many say he is past his prime and will only clog up the Warriors backcourt, especially considering it will be tough to play him and Curry at the same time because of their lackluster defense. Others say he is a perfect complement to the Warriors offense, providing leadership, pick and roll prowess, and a competitive nature to match Draymond’s. Head Coach Steve Kerr will have big decisions to make regarding minutes and playing time.
In addition to trading for Paul, the Warriors also drafted two promising rookies and signed several veteran free agents. With the 19th pick they drafted sophomore guard Brandin Podziemski out of Santa Clara. He is a left-handed scrappy guard with the ability to playmake and knock down shots from beyond the arc. Then with the 57th pick, they picked up senior big man Trayce Jackson-Davis out of Indiana University. Jackson-Davis is somewhat undersized but can rebound and finish around the rim exceptionally well. The Warriors proceeded to sign Dario Saric, Rudy Gay, Cory Joseph, and Rodney McGruder. Saric is a former lottery pick but has struggled to find sustained success. He will bring size and shooting to the table, the former in which the Warriors desperately need. Gay is a 17 year veteran who is on the tail end of his career but brings experience, defense and three point shooting. Joseph is a small guard who can run the offense and knock down open three pointers, similar play style to Ty Jerome. And Rodney McGruder bounced around Europe for a while before finding a home in Detroit for three years. He is a shooting guard who can shoot, attack the rim and play scrappy defense.
The Western Conference is as talented and deep as it has been in a while. You have the powerhouses like the Nuggets, Suns, and Clippers if they stay healthy. You have young teams who are on the cusp of being serious contenders like the Kings, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, and even Thunder. And then you have the Lakers with LeBron and AD and Mavericks with Luka and Kyrie.
With that being said, it could be tough sledding all season long, but I predict if the Warriors can stay healthy, Curry and company will end the season in the 4th seed going 45-37. From there they will knock off the Los Angeles Lakers in six games in round one, take down the Phoenix Suns in seven games in round two, before losing in six games to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals. The season kicks off on October 24th where they will host the Phoenix Suns. Ideally the Dubs get off to a hot start, but with Draymond injured, this may be difficult. Ultimately, it will be very interesting to see where the pieces fall at the end of the season, but one thing’s for sure, as long as the splash brothers are playing, you simply can’t count them out.