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The 2020 NBA Draft is less than a month away and with the Golden State Warriors holding the second overall pick, we should start to see what general manager Bob Myers’ vision is to put together a roster that will compete for a championship.
Last season was a throw away for Golden State. With sharpshooting guard Klay Thompson out for the year while recovering from a torn ACL and two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry missing all but five games, the Warriors fell to the bottom of the league standings.
The good news is that the Splash Brothers are fully healthy and should be ready to go whenever the 2021 NBA seasons tips off. The major media outlets released their way-too-early power rankings and there is no consensus on where the Dubs fit in the NBA pecking order.
ESPN has the Warriors No. 6
“Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green want to prove this group’s run isn’t over yet. They’ll be motivated to show the rest of the league they can still play at the highest level. The reality, however, is that this is a completely different Warriors group than before. How will Andrew Wiggins fit in? How does the talent and leadership void left by Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston get filled? What will they do with the No. 2 overall pick? The Warriors still have top-level talent, but they need to fill a lot of gaps before title talk resumes.”
The Athletic has the Warriors No. 5
“Offseason priority: Fill out the rotation. The returning, healthy core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green is going to be good. They can make Andrew Wiggins look a lot better than what we’ve seen in the past, just by having him complement those three champions. But the Golden State Warriors will still need to convince some cost-effective veterans to sign with them over the LA teams or any contender in the East. They’ll set their aim for guys like Dwight Howard or maybe even a Justin Holiday. They need to build out depth with guys they can trust, but this team will be good.
Why did they end up at this ranking? Everybody loved tap-dancing on the grave of the Warriors last season, but I’m going to assume it was short-lived. With the core healthy and an addition or two for some found veterans, the Warriors should be back toward the top of the league. Will they be the dominant sledgehammer they were before? No. Is this too high for them right now? Maybe. I’m willing to risk it.”
Sports Illustrated has the Warriors No. 11
“To be frank, I have no idea where to slate Golden State entering next season. There’s the instinct to be deferential to the three-time champions, and if Stephen Curry returns to his MVP form, a Finals appearance is certainly in play. Will we see the best of Curry and Klay Thompson next season? It remains a legitimate question, and Golden State’s rotation depth remains a bit shaky. Don’t count the Warriors out by any stretch, but they aren’t anywhere near the conference favorites as the Splash Brothers return to life without Kevin Durant.”
NBC’s Tom Haberstroh had the Warriors No. 2 in the Western Conference
“Don’t forget, 73-9 was without Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry I think is a sleeping giant here. I think people are dismissing him as an MVP candidate, a scoring leader, and I think he will come out looking as good as ever. So I think Stephen Curry with a year of rest, I think he is going to lead this team, and score a gazillion points.
“The question is defensively are they going to be good enough to be the No. 2 in the regular season. But they are No. 2 in my book with Draymond Green and that core, we will see what they do with the rest of the roster.”
I have the Dubs No. 4 in my rankings behind the defending champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and L.A. Clippers. S.I. has Golden State way too low at No. 11. Even if the Dubs can’t add multiple veterans, their roster is still good enough to beat teams like the Utah Jazz in a playoff series.
If Myers can add some significant pieces this offseason, the Warriors could become the favorites to win their fourth title in seven years.
How do your rankings of the top-10 teams in the NBA look?
On to some links:
All four California teams have never qualified for the playoffs in the same season, while three of the franchises in the state have made the postseason together only three times. The Athletic’s Anthony Slater looks at how the Dubs, Lakers and Clippers will be fierce rivals in 2021.
One former Warriors legend wants the team to sign a specific big man in free agency. Rick Barry wants Golden State to target Serge Ibaka this offseason. (NBC Bay Area)
It was no surprise that Kevin Durant departed to join the Brooklyn Nets as a free agent last year. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr says the team has no ill will towards the two-time NBA Finals MVP. (Hot New Hip Hop)
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray had a great run in the playoffs. Murray has had his battles against Curry and explains why it is so tough to guard Steph. (Essentially Sports)
Golden State also has two second-round picks at the 2020 NBA Draft. NBC California’s James Ham looks at six guards the Dubs can target with their pair of late selections.