Every season, the Golden State Warriors consider themselves championship contenders. With four championships under their belt and a top-five player, Steph Curry, their self-belief is warranted. Mike Dunleavy added veteran balance to Golden State’s rotation this summer, bringing in Chris Paul, Dario Saric and Cory Joseph.
However, former NBA guard Jay Williams doesn’t believe Golden State will have a dominant season. Instead, he sees Steve Kerr‘s team ending the season as a play-in team. The Warriors would then need to navigate the play-in tournament to make it into the postseason.
“The Golden State Warriors will be in the play-in tournament,” Williams said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “We all agree that Stephen Curry has to be the Finals MVP for this team to win a championship, correct? He’s turning 36 years old in March. … “Size, in the fourth quarter at the end of the game, they had CP3, Gary Payton II and Steph Curry on the floor together, what the hell is going on? Kevon Looney is the tallest player they have at 6-9, that’s not going to be good; they’re going to get banged up.”
To set the record straight, Saric and Trayce Jackson-Davis are taller than Looney, standing at 6 feet, 10 inches. Golden State has also been successful with smaller lineups in the past. If Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green remain healthy throughout the season, Kerr’s team should remain competitive.
Paul’s addition in the summer certainly raised questions regarding the Warriors’ rotations and guard combinations. Yet, having another elite table-setter is never a bad thing for a franchise that dominates from their guard play.
Golden State has a difficult season ahead. Not because they’re aging and not because they don’t lack talent. But, because they reside in a stacked Western Conference.
Still, the Warriors are only one season removed from winning a championship. It’s far too early to count them out of this year’s race.
