Golden State Warriors
After making the NBA Finals for five consecutive seasons, winning three titles in that span, the Golden State Warriors had a disaster of a season last year. Klay Thompson was expected to miss the entire 2019-20 season after tearing his ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals and with no Kevin Durant on the roster anymore, the Warriors began the season still with high hopes for a successful season as they still had Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and D’Angelo Russell, who they acquired from Brooklyn.
Things quickly took a turn for the worst for the Warriors though when Stephen Curry broke his hand in the fourth game of the season. Then Draymond Green and Kevon Looney both dealt with injuries throughout the year, leading the Warriors trading D’Angelo Russell to the Minnesota Timberwolves at the trade deadline in exchange for former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins.
After ending up with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft this offseason and entering a year where everyone on the Warriors roster was going to be fully healthy again, it looked like the Warriors were on-track to be one of the top teams in the Western Conference once again until news broke that Klay Thompson had suffered another serious leg injury while working out in Los Angeles with trainers and friends.
Klay Thompson tore his right Achilles’ tendon and required season-ending surgery, causing him to now miss his second consecutive season. Thompson will now miss back-to-back seasons and while many do not doubt Klay’s ability to bounce back and continue playing at a high-level, it is definitely concerning for Warriors fans and their front office that Thompson will not be back out on an NBA court until October 2021 at the earliest.
After acquiring Kelly Oubre Jr. to try and replicate the success Thompson has had on the wing for years with Golden State and after drafting James Wiseman 2nd overall, the Warriors have a legit shot to make some noise in the Western Conference and potentially keep their dynasty alive because of one man.
Stephen Curry is going to be on a mission this year and could wind up having the best season of his career. It is not out of question to think that Stephen Curry could average upwards of 30 points per game this season and with his fellow “Splash Brother” being out for the year, Curry could see an increase in three-point opportunities with the Warriors.
The 43.5% career three-point shooter is not only one of the most lethal shooters in today’s game, but in the history of the NBA, as he ranks third on the all-time three-pointers made list and could potentially pass Reggie Miller for second on the list this season. The Warriors will at least have Curry to set the tone and his presence goes a long way.
One thing we have learned over the years is to never count out the Golden State Warriors and this is something that has to be remembered this year. Steph is going to do everything he can to win games for the Warriors this season and with Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre Jr, Draymond Green and James Wiseman by his side, the Warriors could end up being a very good basketball team come playoff time.
