As the Golden State Warriors enter the 2025-26 NBA season, their goal is clear: compete for a championship in one of their final years with superstar Stephen Curry left on the roster.
Yet, NBA Analyst Legend of Winning has shared a bleak prediction for the team's season, arguing that, given the age of their core, they could struggle to even reach a winning record in a loaded Western Conference.
While, given the playoff acumen of players like Curry and Jimmy Butler, even a play-in spot would be enough to give them a shot at a deep run, a poor regular season could be disastrous for the aging team.
Analyst's prediction reveals the Warriors' disaster scenario
With juggernauts such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets and the ascendant Houston Rockets clamoring for a spot atop the standings, everyone around the NBA knows that it will be exceedingly difficult to compete in the Western Conference for seasons to come.
Yet, a strong finish last season after the acquisition of Butler has left fans of Golden State with a profound hope: that the team's veteran trio can lead them to contention despite serious holes in the roster.
On the latest episode of the Kevin O'Connor Show, however, special guest Legend of Winning has given a different outlook on their chances for contention moving forward: "I'm so low mainly because the West is very competitive. I don't have them crossing over 43 wins this upcoming year...
It's not even because I don't believe in Curry, Draymond and Jimmy as a trio. It's the fact that I don't even know if I could put that much trust in all of them playing enough games to have that much of an impact."
Although his analysis is rather harsh, League of Winning does hit on a very valid concern regarding the Warriors' roster. With their presumed signing of Al Horford, the team will have four starters over the age of 35, and, within the gauntlet of the Western Conference, even one of them missing significant time could leave the team mired in mediocrity.
Moreover, the team, as was seen last season, cannot afford to sacrifice a bona-fide playoff berth for a spot in the play-in. If they are able to enter the postseason at all, they will need as much rest as possible. A late season grind for just to even earn a spot in the playoffs could be disastrous for the health and energy they would need for a deep playoff run.
At the same time, this same team, minus whatever veterans they choose to sign before training camp, went 23-8 last year after their acquisition of Butler, putting together the best defense in the league and a top-ten offense during that time.
Yet, given their massive exposure to injury risk, almost any outcome is possible for Golden State this season, and analysts such as League of Winning are, in some ways, correct to highlight what could be the cause of a majorly disappointing outcome for the organization and its fans.