The second stretch of Golden State Warriors dynasty won’t be like the first, but Draymond Green thinks they can still win a championship.
The Golden State Warriors have hands down been the best team in the NBA over the past five seasons. Albeit they were the worst team record-wise in the Western Conference when was suspended due to COVID-19, their success in recent years has been unmatched.
That said, getting back to the top, even with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson healthy is no easy challenge. Having combined for just five games so far this season, the bulk of the team’s inability to win can be put on their injuries.
Their opponents are getting tougher this time around though.
The Western Conference is arguably better than it’s ever been. The Clippers and Lakers both have superstar duos to go with top-tier role players while the Rockets have built the ultimate small-ball lineup led by 2018-2019 scoring champion James Harden.
Don’t tell Draymond Green that. Primed with a top pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, rising studs in Eric Paschall and Jordan Poole and a healthy core led by Curry, Thompson, and Green, the Warriors’ glueman says the team is going to “get it done.”
Draymond: “Getting this team back to greatness. A lot of people saying we can’t win without KD — like we didn’t win without KD already. Is it gonna be as easy? Fu*k no. Kevin’s great. But with them two guys I’ve been rolling with ... it can get done. And we gonna get it done.” pic.twitter.com/WS8emcc1py
— Drew Shiller (@DrewShiller) April 23, 2020
Green is a do-it-all type player. While his numbers have declined, his impact will certainly always been there. Along with that impact that is everlasting, Green’s never been a player shy of confidence.
On a team like Golden State that is led by the league’s only unanimous MPV, there’s no reason to doubt.
While the path that lies ahead will undoubtedly be more difficult than the one where the team had four top-30 players and two top-five players, there’s no denying that this team has the ability to get back to the NBA Finals.
This coming season, they may not win it, but the Warriors will, at the very least, contend for a championship. At full strength, they’re a team every other opponent will fear in the playoffs.