Warriors Bold Predictions Ahead of 2022-23 NBA Season
The Golden State Warriors are coming off of their fourth NBA championship in eight seasons.
What on earth could they have planned for a sequel in 2022-23?
To see what might lie ahead, we are indulging in some offseason optimism and boldly proclaiming where these Warriors can go.
Golden State Sends 4 Players to All-Star Game
When the Dubs were at their dynastic best, they sent four players to the 2017 All-Star Game (Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson) and watched the entire quartet return for the 2018 festivities.
Next season's group has a chance to match that feat.
The Warriors had three representatives this past season, when Andrew Wiggins joined Curry and Green. All three have a chance to return. A healthy Curry is a lock, and a healthy Green might be too, given his monstrous impact on winning. Wiggins is approaching his age-27 season, so there's no reason to think he's about to slow down.
If they make the cut, Golden State has several different places it could turn to fill the fourth spot. Maybe Thompson fully gets his groove back? Perhaps Jordan Poole takes another leap forward? Those are the most logical options, but don't rule out a young player like Jonathan Kuminga or even James Wiseman taking the hoops world by storm.
Warriors Rank In Top 5 on Offense and Defense
Two-way excellence used to be Golden State's calling card, but the offense really sagged after Durant departed in 2019. Last season was by far this attack's best since, and it still ranked just 16th in efficiency, per NBA.com.
Defense is a different story. The Warriors had last season's second-best unit on that end, and they shouldn't be at risk of a deep decline. They might miss Gary Payton II on that end, but a healthy Donte DiVincenzo can cause all kinds of defensive havoc.
The defense feels reliably elite, and the offense feels like it can return to that level.
Thompson had a healthy offseason for the first time in years. Curry apparently ages like fine wine. All of the young players—Poole included—could be better than before.
The firepower is ferocious when this club is at full strength, and this offense could make a serious push for the league's top spot.
Warriors Win All 3 Rounds of Western Conference Playoffs in 5 Games or Fewer
It didn't feel like the Warriors were juggernaut-level dominant in last season's playoffs, but that's kind of how it played out. While they never swept an opponent, they also never went to a Game 7, dispatching two opponents in five games and the other two in six.
They could do better this time around.
It will take a herculean effort, because the Western Conference could be absolutely loaded, as teams like the Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers return to full health. Still, if any club can do this, it's probably the defending champs.
If the defense remains top-shelf, and the offense catches up, Golden State might have too much balance, too much star power and too much depth for opponents to keep pace. Our crystal ball not only has the Warriors winning the West, it sees them finishing off all three Western Conference opponents in five games or less.