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Preview of the NBA 2021-22 season on Golden State Warriors. Data, results from the previous season, a look at their squad and future free agents, the objectives of the course, the player to watch and a forecast on the franchise.
Golden State Warriors
Template
- Market movements: Incorporations of Andre Iguodala, Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica (all movements here).
- Backcourt: Stephen Curry, Mychal Mulder (not guaranteed), Gary Payton II (not guaranteed), Chris Chiozza (two-way), Klay Thompson, Moses Moody, Jordan Poole, Damion Lee.
- Frontcourt: Andrew Wiggins, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Andre Iguodala, Otto Porter Jr., Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Nemanja Bjelica, Kevon Looney, James Wiseman,
This is how they face the season
Second attempt of the Warriors to return to the noble zone of the West. After the sabbatical year of 19-20 and the improvement of last season, Golden State aspires this time to once again be one of the teams to consider in their conference, and of course they have the resources for them. A few months ago they touched the playoffs, in which they would have been without a doubt dangerous for anyone, and everything indicates that this time they are a better team than they were then, yes, with certain doubts in certain aspects.
Who is not doubted, however, is Stephen Curry, who comes from a course in which he showed that he still has basketball, triples and magic to spread in abundance. The point guard, who broke the record for triples per game in a season (5.3), was the great architect that Steve Kerr’s men finished the regular league with the eighth best record in the West, and in fact scratched some votes for the MVP after a championship close of a stratospheric level. It became clear then that, with Steph at 100%, these Warriors are a competitive team, but it is the pieces around them that can end up giving the necessary boost so that they do not give the feeling that they are playing alone.
In that sense, Draymond Green once proved to be a perfect squire, not in numbers but in a thousand aspects of the game that transcend basic statistics. It is another of the life insurance of the San Francisco, especially in defense, an aspect in which they shone last year (5th best defensive rating) and in which they need to maintain the level this year if they want to face the greats of their conference face to face.
Then, however, the doubts begin, and the first is inevitably Klay Thompson. Despite the fact that the feelings regarding his condition are good, it is inevitable to harbor a certain caution about a player who has not played a game for two and a half years. What level will it return to? How much will it contribute? How long will it take to get back into competition rhythm?
It seems obvious that, with Klay at his best (or one close to 100%) these Warriors have wickers to aim high again. And the truth is that in recent years there are already several precedents of players who return from very complicated injuries looking fully recovered and giving the feeling that there was never any problem. There is, therefore, reason to be optimistic about it, although it seems that it will take until Christmas to have real indications of all this.
Another of whom it is difficult to predict anything right now is Andrew Wiggins, although in his case for quite different reasons. After being one of the good news of last season, confirming himself as a solid and efficient player in a more discreet role than the one he had in Minnesota, this time his refusal to get vaccinated could cost him to miss his matches at Oracle Arena , from 41 in the regular season to those of a hypothetical playoffs. And this, indisputably, would weigh down the Warriors in a remarkable way.
However, it is not exactly in the forward position where they are fairer in Golden State, where they seem to continue the trend of recent years of having many versatile players in that position that allow them to bet on small quintets. The arrival of men like Otto Porter Jr., Andre Iguodala or the rookie Jonathan Kuminga allows them to have patches to spare for that gap, and brings many variations to Kerr in order to test different systems. Without the overwhelming amount of talent from earlier times, they will undoubtedly remain a team with alternatives.
And finally, the youngest, including Kuminga himself and James Wiseman, whom the franchise expects to develop in a competitive environment. The pivot comes from a difficult first season, with various stoppages due to injuries, in which he pointed out ways but left evidence that he still has a lot of work ahead of him; while the forward has excited the franchise but will have a difficult ballot fighting for minutes in his year rookie. Both have the potential to be decisive in the future of the team, but their work will not be easy for two players with such short experience.
In view of all the aforementioned, it is to be expected that these Warriors will be a team that will go from less to more as the season passes. As Klay recovers sensations and rhythm of competition, that Wiseman and Kuminga continue to harden and adapt to what the team requires of them, and even as possible incorporations arrive, those of San Francisco should be improving and be a dangerous squad when they arrive. the important months. How much will this give them for? It will be very interesting to check it out.
The player to watch
Although there is more time to see him play than his teammates, many eyes are already on Klay Thompson. Not only is there a huge desire to see him play again, but the guard can undoubtedly be one of the keys to his season, as he is one of the biggest unknowns and at the same time who can give a greater leap in quality to the game. team compared to what they were last year. Will we ever have the Splash Brothers together 100%? If so, these Warriors will not just be a hilarious team to watch, but a fearsome one to take on.
NBA preview 2021-22 Golden State Warriors, prediction
Elio Martínez, director of Trends Wide, will give a personal and subjective forecast on what he thinks each franchise will do during the season in the NBA 2021-22 preview.
I have come here to play. To make crazy bets in some case. Given that, as the article says, the state of Klay Thompson is a real unknown and we are talking about the second most important player in the team’s attack, any prediction about Golden State is feasible to be a dead letter. But with the Warriors I want to be optimistic and I see chances that they finish fifth in the West. Not only on his merits, but because there are teams that are not able to reach their best level due to injuries or a ‘new’ NBA after the worst of the pandemic.
Previous team analyzed: Charlotte Hornets. Next team: Indiana Pacers.
(Cover photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
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