Golden State Warriors: Best/Worst case scenarios for 2021-22 NBA season
By Tony Pesta
Best case scenarios for Golden State Warriors – 50+ wins
The best case scenario for the Golden State Warriors is a doozy. At full strength and with a little bit of good fortune, this is a team capable of winning a championship.
Stephen Curry makes MVP run
Perhaps the only given this season will be Stephen Curry’s excellence. We can not bank on anything else going right for the Dubs — but we can rest assured Curry is going to be an MVP caliber player so long as he is on the floor.
Curry made sure to ramp things up in his preseason finale by scoring 41 points on just 23 shots — a typical stat line for the two-time MVP at this point. The Warriors will need the Chef to be at peak form all throughout the year as their path to success runs directly through him.
Klay Thompson returns to form by Playoffs
Last season was a harsh reality check for Golden State. The truth is, no team in the NBA can compete with only one star. No matter how magnificent Curry was last season — the Dubs are limited without the other Splash Brother.
The good news is Klay is meeting all of his goals for recovery and should be back by January. This gives him a few months to gradually dust himself off and prepare for the playoffs. Which, is the most important thing on everybody’s mind.
Getting back to full form by April is the key for Thompson and the Warriors. Regardless of where the Dubs finish in the standings, no one is going to sign up for a first round meeting with a rejuvenated Splash Bros.
Jordan Poole is legit
In the meantime, the Warriors will be hoping to get consistent production in the backcourt from Jordan Poole — who looked like the best possible replacement for Klay Thompson to start the season.
It was breathtaking to see Poole take such a massive leap in development this summer. He appeared to be an elite live-dribble scorer who has already shined as an off-ball threat. His defense still needs to improve but Poole has everything needed to be a suitable backcourt partner for Curry.