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Golden State Warriors: Imagining a healthy 2019-20 season

By Tony Pesta

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 30: Stephen Curry #30, Draymond Green #23, Klay Thompson #11, and D'Angelo Russell #0 of the Golden State Warriors pose for a portrait during media day on September 30, 2019 at the Biofreeze Performance Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 30: Stephen Curry #30, Draymond Green #23, Klay Thompson #11, and D'Angelo Russell #0 of the Golden State Warriors pose for a portrait during media day on September 30, 2019 at the Biofreeze Performance Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Golden State Warriors 2019-20 season came to an end before it even began.

Months before the 2019-20 NBA season officially began, the Golden State Warriors were struck with injuries and key free agency losses.

Klay Thompson‘s torn ACL would impact the entirety of the season while Kevin Durant‘s departure would have a longterm impact on the franchise. The Warriors front office did a solid job of recovering by acquiring D’Angelo Russell but the squad was doomed from the start.

Within the first few weeks of the season, Stephen Curry had fallen with a broken hand. Subsequent injuries to Russell and Draymond Green helped bring the Dubs to their current standing as the worst team in the league.

It’s obvious how quickly injuries managed to derail the season. But, what would have happened if this team was healthy? What if the Dubs erased every injury and had an active core of Curry, Russell, Thompson and Green?

This may seem like a pointless hypothetical, but the truth is we will likely see this squad play at full strength next season. If this is the case, what can we expect from the Dubs?

For starters, it’s safe to assume the Warriors would be far from the bottom of the league standings. The core of Curry/Green/Thompson alone is enough to keep Golden State in the playoff picture. Add a young All-Star caliber player in Russell and this team is a championship contender.

Russell’s dynamic next to Curry and Thompson is fascinating on paper. His playmaking ability alongside two of the greatest shooters ever is a match made in heaven. It’s possible we see D-Lo average double-digit assists with the Splash Brothers by his side.

Furthermore, this helps take the pressure off of Curry. He doesn’t have to be the primary ball-handler anymore and can focus more on getting his shots off. There is no telling how deadly a score-first Curry could be.

Even with a healthy core, the Warriors would still struggle from depth issues. There is no telling if Eric Paschall would have ever broken out as a rookie star had he not been given such a great opportunity due to all of the Dubs injuries.

This team would struggle defensively too. Green hasn’t looked like his usual self and the team doesn’t have anyone else to anchor them on this end of the floor.

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This Warriors team wasn’t built for a championship run. Sure, a team of four All-Stars will always have a fighting chance but their second unit is simply too weak to have a real chance. A healthy Warriors squad wouldn’t have changed much this season and the franchise is better off using this as a chance to recover for next year.

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