The Golden State Warriors 2020-21 season started with disappointment and ended the same way. Losing Klay Thompson to a torn Achilles tendon right before pre-season immediately took Stephen Curry and company out of playoff contention. Losing rookie center James Wiseman and Kelly Oubre both to injuries was how the year ended. The 2021-22 season is equivalent to hitting the restart game feature while playing the PlayStation 5. That's what the Golden State Warriors would be doing and that's why they will have a really good chance at winning it all next year.
Sometimes video games won't allow you to win. No matter how hard you play or strategize you won't get over the hump. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green led the Dubs to a 39-33 record this past season. Curry put together a spectacular season and finished as an MVP finalist. Green looked like his old self and finished as a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year. Curry and Green's tremendous play wasn't good enough.
Adding a healthy and very hungry Klay Thompson will make the Warriors instant contenders. He will give them a second All-Star caliber player who is possibly the second greatest shooter of all time. He can catch fire and burn an opponent for 40+ points on any given night. So on those rare occasions when Stephen Curry's shot isn't falling, Thompson will be there to pick up the scoring slack. His presence alone will make life easier for Curry. It could also put Green in a position to possibly lead the league in assists next season.
The addition of Thompson might be the main reason the Warriors could win the title next year, but definitely not the only one. Wingman Andrew Wiggins took major strides in his first full season with the Warriors. Proving he could be a good second-scoring option while being the team's number one perimeter defender. Wiggins earned career highs in field goal and three-point percentage last season. If he can keep those percentages up and become an even better defensive player next season he could play a huge role in making a championship run.
Then you have the big man 20-year-old, James Wiseman. Although he only played 39 games out of 72 possible games, he will get a proper introduction to the NBA. Last season he was placed in the difficult position of playing on a team that had expectations. Losing Thompson meant more pressure for the then 19-year-old rookie to perform well. Next season if the team is fully healthy Wiseman could focus on the things he does well while improving on his weaknesses at the same time. His size and athleticism are something that could easily be utilized in an offense with Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry. The Splash Brothers could make the Bay Area look like Lob City with Wiseman next year.
With Jordan Poole, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and the other young players receiving valuable experience in the past season, the Warriors will have plenty of players to trust in the rotation. And when the Dubs won rings in the past they used a large rotation. So this team will be more of the type of roster coach Steve Kerr does well with.
If healthy next season, teams should be very afraid of the Warriors.
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