Written By: Paul Egbeyemi
Edited By: Cameron Schoffro
The Warriors are blazing hot, opening the season with a 9-1 record. Many skeptics question how it's possible, considering the notable setbacks they've seen heading into the season. I hope to highlight these setbacks, along with the team's successes, all while questioning if this hot streak can last the test of time or at least the test of the playoffs.
It's easy to say that this team wouldn't have seen a sliver of its success without its Multi All-Star, unanimous MVP and undeniable greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry. He found a way to make this team of misfits click against considerable odds. On the season, he's currently scorching hot, averaging a league-high 30 points, along with 6 rebounds and 6 assists. It should also be noted that he's shooting a league-high 96% from the free-throw line. While Steph Curry’s individual stats are amazing, his effect on the team as a whole is just as impressive. With a positive 16 plus-minus, his presence on the court creates offensive sparks. His defensive contribution has notably improved this season as well, as his 1.7 steals per game is among the highest in the league. His exterior and interior defence has kept opposing offences out of the paint. Returning to the lights out shooting, Steph is on pace to beat his own 3-point record of threes made in a single season. He is also on pace to pass Ray Allen as the all-time highest 3 point shooter in 5 fewer seasons or 585 fewer games. Steph Curry has already cemented himself amongst the greats, but what he has managed to do this season has truly set the bar even higher for team leaders.
Despite the affluent leadership of Steph, other great players have been integral to this team's success. The obvious next player to highlight is Draymond Green, who many consider to be the glue that holds this team dynamic together. While his stats don't always pop on paper, his all-around effort is extremely noteworthy. He is currently averaging a near triple-double, with 8 points per game, along with 8 assists and 7 rebounds. His shooting has also seen stout improvements this season, as he has managed to shoot an impressive 57 percent from the field. Draymond is a floor general, and his role has yet to change through 10 seasons with the Golden State Warriors. We can hope to see Draymond continue to lead his team towards wins and facilitate improvements on both the offensive and defensive end. While both Draymond and Steph are Golden State's franchise cornerstones, the team’s depth players have also made significant contributions, both in starting roles and off the bench. The team as a whole has the highest points per game (PPG) in the NBA at 114 and consistently proves they have talent throughout the roster. The biggest standouts for the team would have to be Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins. Jordan Poole has seen consistent increases in his game since his 2019 rookie year and now secures starting minutes every game. His role is primarily to score, and he does so at a high volume, averaging 18 points on 44 percent shooting. Much like his Teammate Steph Curry, he has an elite free throw game, shooting 94 percent from the line, which has helped close out tight games. If Jordan Poole can continue to play into his scoring role, the Warriors should see no shortage of impressive 2nd or 3rd option play. Continuing with scoring, Andrew Wiggins has seen a career of short-lived success and overlooked play. The former rookie of the year was drafted into an inconsistent Minnesota team that only managed one playoff appearance in his five years. His luck seemed to change, and he found a home in the Golden State. Much like Jordan Poole, he is a high-volume scorer who has managed to put up 19 points a game this season. In addition to 48 percent shooting, he has also kept his solid rebounding efforts, as he averages almost 5 per game. In conclusion, the Warriors have great depth, and the combined team effort has allowed them to compete at such a high-level night-in and night-out.
Despite all this success, the team has seen some setbacks that have limited their full potential. Their dominant center, James Wiseman, suffered a right meniscal tear and, as a result, has not seen the court this season. His injury caused a shift in the team roster, as both Draymond and Kevin Looney have seen starting center action, despite both being undersized for the position. This lack of height could allow a taller team to expose their paint weaknesses later in the season. Perhaps the most important setback is the absence of Klay Thompson, who many regard as the 2nd greatest shooter of all time behind Steph. Klay's ACL injury in the 2019 finals has kept him off the court for over two years, and during those seasons, his absence was felt. The Warriors failed to make the playoffs in either contest and despite valiant efforts from star players, the shooting guard’s impact couldn't be replaced. Moving into this season, the previous year was a retooling stage for the Warriors, who used the time to make strategic moves and gain high draft picks who have been crucial to their current success. There are now talks of a Klay Thompson return this season, as he was recently cleared to practice and has been seen in warmup lines before games. The re-introduction of Klay Thompson to this already amazing team should be seamless and a step forward, but there is a possibility his return messes up the chemistry the Warriors have at this moment. Perhaps they already have a working system, and adding another star into the mix would be overwhelming and disrupt the functioning dynamic in place. I would argue against that idea, Klay Thompson has shown an ability to adjust to systems easily and play his role to perfection. His workload per game would be a slow build-up, and the team’s current system will have time to adjust to his growing involvement. Once the time comes, presumably late in the season, Klay will return to his original role, and his positive effect will return with it.
Taking all this into consideration, what can the Warriors accomplish this season? While it is very early to speculate, I would easily consider them a title contender considering the performance they have shown so far. They have star talent and a great bench that has yet to show any serious issues at this point. Other contenders such as the Nets and the Lakers have seen both on-court and off-court issues, which prohibits them from being clear-cut favourites thus far. With the re-introduction of Klay Thompson and perhaps even James Wiseman, the Warriors have the potential to return to their former age of dominance. Only time will tell how the Golden State rises to the occasion, and hopefully, we will continue to see high-level basketball coming from the Oakland Area.
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