Dubs in-depth: Where do you rank the Warriors in the Western Conference?
It’s going to be a blood bath in the loaded west this season.
The NBA’s abbreviated offseason has been eventful. We saw multiple players moved to new teams, and free agency felt like a whirlwind with all of the transactions. One of the teams that made a significant move is the Golden State Warriors.
After losing superstar guard Klay Thompson to a season-ending injury, general manager Bob Myers acted fast. He brought in forward Kelly Oubre Jr. to help offset the loss of one of the best shooters in the NBA.
The Dubs also added some depth pieces in Kent Bazemore and Brad Wanamaker before training camp kicks off next week. It’s easy to know that Golden State won’t be what it was without Thompson. You don’t just replace a player like Klay, but the Myers and co. did well in getting in Oubre for pennies on the dollar.
It remains to be seen if big man James Wiseman will come in and have an immediate impact, but by adding him through the draft, the Dubs have one of the best rotations in the league. Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green will undoubtedly start, while head coach Steve Kerr will determine who fills out the remaining two spots.
If Kerr goes with Oubre and Wiseman are in the starting lineup, the bench will feature Bazemore, Wanamaker, Kevon Looney, Eric Paschall and Marquese Chriss as the main options. If Jordan Poole developed over the break, he could make some noise as well.
After all the moves, where do the Warriors stand in the Western Conference pecking order? The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the big winners of the offseason, jettisoning Rajon Rondo, Danny Green and Dwight Howard and bringing in Montrezl Harrell, Dennis Schroder, Wesley Matthews and Paul Gasol. The Lakers are rightfully the favorites to repeat as NBA champions, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the way.
The L.A. Clippers and Denver Nuggets will be a handful with their talented rosters. The Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz look like playoff teams, while the Phoenix Suns are on the cusp. We will have to wait and see what happens with the Houston Rockets. If James Harden and Russell Westbrook return for another season, the Rockets have enough firepower to get into the postseason.
The eight teams listed above aren’t shoo-ins, however. The New Orleans Pelicans should make a leap, with Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram leading the charge. The Pelicans added a proven big man in Steven Adams. Meanwhile, Ja Morant and the young Memphis Grizzlies will be a handful on any given night.
That leaves the Minnesota Timberwolves, plus the rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder and Sacramento Kings at the bottom of the conference. There will be 12 teams battling out for the eight playoff spots in what should be a very entertaining 2020-21 NBA regular season.
It will be a battle every night for Golden State, but the roster is good enough to compete with every team in the conference. Curry should get back to being his old self, while Wiggins and Oubre should provide enough offense to back Steph up. If Green can resemble the player he was during the 2018-19 season, it will significantly boost the Warriors’ chances. Myers can still go shopping for some free agents and has the $9.3 million disabled player option to use with Thompson out.
On to some links:
Are the Warriors being overlooked going into the new season? Fansided’s Tony Pesta says Golden State is the most underrated squad in the NBA.
The Thompson injury will feel like a black eye for the entire season, but the Dubs did get some good news. Klay’s surgery was a success and he’s expected to make a full recovery.
Golden State hasn’t played a game in nearly nine full months, but that isn’t stopping Steph from being optimistic. The two-time MVP shares why he thinks the time off was a good thing for his team. (Essentially Sports)
Myers added another body for training camp. The Warriors signed Ohio State’s Kaleb Wesson to a tryout deal. (Bucks Wire)