Warriors Bold Predictions Ahead of 2023-24 NBA Season
The Golden State Warriors are attempting to extend the greatest dynasty of this NBA era.
They may not be the most loaded-on-paper team you'll find entering the 2023-24 season, but their championship credentials are well known at this point.
Get Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson on the same court with Steve Kerr calling the shots, and good-to-great things are almost certainly happening.
The Dubs, champions in 2021-22 and conference semifinalists last season, could be in for a wild ride. We'll look at what could happen with a round of bold predictions.
Chris Paul Doesn't End Season in Golden State
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While there is a universe in which Chris Paul fits perfectly in Golden State, that probably isn't our reality.
Here, his methodical style seems like it might muddy up the Warriors' free-wheeling system. He will help trim down the turnover count, but Golden State might lose some of the freedom that's been such an essential part of its ascension.
The Warriors might start the 38-year-old out of respect, but it won't take long to tell their best lineups don't include him. There just isn't enough defense between him and Curry for this to work at a high level.
Should Golden State ever discover it lacks the star power needed to contend for a title, Paul and his colossal salary will certainly be needed to make the money work in a blockbuster trade.
Dubs Have 3 All-Stars
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Sending multiple players to the All-Star Game isn't easy, but Golden State routinely makes it seem that way.
Since 2014-15, the Warriors have had at least two All-Star selections six different times. They've also sent three-plus players to the event four times in that stretch.
This season will be the fifth. Curry is a lock, and Green should be if he's healthy and the Warriors are winning. He's simply too valuable as a distributor and all-purpose defender to ignore.
Andrew Wiggins is the likeliest candidate to fill the third spot, as he's a dominant defender who could average an efficient 20 points per night. But don't rule out Thompson just yet. He keeps moving further away from his old injury issues, and he might be playing for a contract. A healthy season for him could still be an All-Star-caliber one.
Stephen Curry Is an MVP Finalist
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The Warriors have surrounded Curry with stars and support pieces, but he remains the center of everything they can do.
And if they end up doing quite a lot this season—say, winning 55-ish games and finishing as a top-three seed in the West—then he'll have a chance to increase his MVP count.
He was ninth in MVP voting last season, even though he missed 26 games and Golden State had to fight to avoid the play-in tournament. That speaks to just how valuable he is.
He might be 35 years old, but you won't find signs of aging on his stat sheet. Last season, he averaged the third-most points of his career (29.4) and was only a few field goals shy of his second ever 50/40/90 shooting slash (49.3/42.7/91.5).
