The Golden State Warriors are off to their best start since the 2015-16 season—the year when the Dubs started the season 24-0. Chasing history isn't the goal this season, but the strong start already has people mentioning the Warriors as a championship team. That is once Klay Thompson returns to the floor.
So how good will the Warriors be with a healthy Thompson?
How good will the Warriors be when Klay Thompson, James Wiseman, and Jonathan Kuminga join the team?#DubNation
— Mark Haynes (@markhaynesnba) October 27, 2021
The Dubs haven't lost a single game this year. They won every game in the preseason, and it continued into the regular season. Players like Jordan Poole and Damion Lee have had big moments while stepping up for the injured Thompson. Their progression individually has brought a lot of excitement about what the team will become.
The Dubs are easily looking like a Top 5 team in the Western Conference. Adding an All-Star and two-way player like Thompson will likely make the Warriors instant contenders—that is if he's fully healthy. Even if he isn't 100%, you would be adding a player who's never shot the three under 40% in a season. Shooting is something that doesn't go away. In practice, even on one leg, Thompson showed the world the stroke hasn't and isn't going anywhere.
In the upcoming months, the Dubs will get two other key players returning to the lineup. They will get second-year center James Wiseman and their No. 7 pick in this year's draft Jonathan Kuminga. Wiseman is expected to contribute this season, while Kuminga will be a player who might crack the everyday rotation but has to prove he's ready.
Wiseman will be the lob threat the Warriors don't have at the moment, and he would be the only player who is at least seven-feet tall. Against the other contenders in the league, the Dubs will need Wiseman's size and athleticism if they want to win a championship.
But the main ingredient to winning it all is Klay Thompson, and the rest of the NBA should be afraid. The Warriors, with a fully healthy Thompson, can win it all. He's going to return to the court with a bigger chip on his shoulder than he's ever had. After Thompson was left off the NBA's top 75 players list, it added more fuel to the fire.
So when June comes around, it shouldn't be a big surprise if the Warriors are still playing. Health is their biggest obstacle this season. But when Klay Thompson and the rest of the squad are healthy, they could be the best team in the NBA. Just like old times.
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