3 Warriors that could make-or-break championship potential

Nov 18, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) looks to pass in the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 18, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) looks to pass in the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
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Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been a hectic ride for the Golden State Warriors.

They were the best team in the NBA for the first few weeks of the season. While the Phoenix Suns, who finished with the best record in the NBA, eventually jumped them, the Warriors injured didn’t help their place in the standings.

The Golden State Warriors are going to be an NBA Finals contender, but they’ll only get that far if these three players step up in a big way.

Golden State missed Draymond Green for two months and started to slide down the Western Conference table. The Grizzlies jumped them despite the Dubs’ ultra-hot start. Golden State then painfully watched Stephen Curry go down against the Celtics.

The two-time MVP will be out the remainder of the season but does seem to be making enough progress to come back at the start of the postseason. The Warriors are likely to enter the playoffs as the No. 3 seed and could play either and the Utah Jazz or the Denver Nuggets.

Either way, the Warriors should be able to breeze through the first two rounds if these key players step up when needed most.