The Golden State Warriors had an interesting season, to say the least. With Curry and Klay out and Durant gone, they had a chance to run some rotations they normally wouldn’t pay any mind to. Guys like Ky Bowman and Damion Jones were able to prove that they were solid bench pieces and secured a spot on the team for some time to come. Now, they did go from best to worst this season, but we also need to consider the assets they have for the next season.
With Curry, Klay and Draymond back on the floor again, they would run a well-rounded starting lineup, with guys that can shoot, dribble, create, rebound and defend on an elevated level. Not to mention, they have the 2nd overall pick in this year’s draft. They are projected to draft James Wiseman, and this would honestly be the most perfect and fitting pick out of the whole draft. The piece that the Warriors have lacked in all of their championship runs is a solid big – guys like Zaza Pachulia, Festus Ezeli and Kevon Looney just could not provide.
James Wiseman is a very promising young asset and one the Warriors could build their future around. That being said, their projected lineup for next year would be as follows: PG: Stephen Curry, SG: Klay Thompson, SF: Andrew Wiggins, PF: Draymond Green, C: James Wiseman. If that is not a championship caliber team, I couldn’t tell you what is. Though this may seem like a hot take, I feel like this team would run incredibly well. Curry, being the floor general and star of the team, has always played an unselfish game, while still having the ability to take over when needed. I know for a fact that this team has what it takes to run the best 7-second or perimeter-centric offense in the league, of course assuming all players are well and healthy.
Lastly, the only problem that I see with this team is its depth. Losing players like Andre Iguodala and Quinn Cook over the past couple of years could prove to have a sizeable effect on the leadership off the bench, but I know that the aforementioned players (Ky Bowman, Damion Jones and Eric Paschall) could provide the boost needed for a successful bench.
Though this may feel unlikely at the moment, if the team stays healthy, I would be willing to bet on a finals appearance from them. The potential here is truly unreal!
Image: EZRA SHAW / GETTY
