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Golden State Warriors: First months of the season will be a challenge

By Tony Pesta

OAKLAND, CA - MAY 31: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates with Stephen Curry #30 and Klay Thompson #11 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on May 31, 2018 in Oakland, 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. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - MAY 31: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates with Stephen Curry #30 and Klay Thompson #11 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on May 31, 2018 in Oakland, 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. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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The Golden State Warriors are ready to embark on one of their most interesting chapters yet. Their juggling act of the young, old and injured will begin on October 19 against the Los Angeles Lakers. We should expect the first few months of the season to be the most challenging.

The opening stretch of the 2021-22 NBA season will be the most difficult thing the Golden State Warriors have to face in their return to greatness.

Typically, the first few weeks of the year don’t do much to determine the eventual outcome. Sure, some teams will surprise us one way or another but NBA fans have learned not to place too much stock into the opening months of the season.

However, the Warriors can’t afford to overlook the months of October, November and December. There are many obstacles in their way and breaking down these barriers will allow them to reach their ultimate goal of the playoffs.

Growing Pains

The most obvious issue will be growing pains. With incoming rookies like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, the Warriors will have to navigate through the usual blunders that come from playing teenagers in a professional basketball game. This means weathering the storm and giving these two just enough slack to fail (and learn from their mistakes) will be a balancing act for the Dubs.

The same goes for James Wiseman, who received the bare minimum of a rookie season due to a torn meniscus. It is unclear when Wiseman will return but we can safely assume the learning curve is still steep for the young center.

Injury Concerns

Another glaring hole in the roster comes in the form of Klay Thompson. Though it has been two years since he last played for the Warriors — they miss him all the same. No one has come close to replacing the two-way contributions of Klay and his absence will continue to hurt the Warriors heading into October.

Thompson is expected to return around Christmas, meaning the Dubs will need to keep their head above water in order to safely insert him back into the lineup. Of course, shaking off the rust will likely be an ongoing process for the Splash Brother, as well.

New faces

Aside from the incoming rookies, the Warriors also made some notable additions to their roster. Kelly Oubre and Eric Paschall are gone. Otto Porter, Andre Iguodala and Nemanja Bjelica are in. With the exception of Iggy, it will take time for the others to acclimate themselves into the rotation.

As for names like Jordan Poole, Damion Lee and Juan Toscano-Anderson, it will be their duty to carve out their own roles and solidify where they fit with the team. In particular, Poole has the highest expectations of becoming a consistent sixth man and backup guard for Stephen Curry.

All in all, the opening months of the season will be full of challenges for the Warriors. The sooner they smooth out these rough edges and find their rhythm, the better.

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