Golden State Warriors' Christmas List: 25 Things GSW Is Asking for This Xmas

The Golden State Warriors created a lot of buzz this offseason, coming off a very successful season and postseason that featured Stephen Curry's coming out party and the acquisition of Andre Iguodala. But there are a still a lot of things the Warriors need this season if they want to have a legitimate chance at a title.

With Christmas coming up, and the Warriors playing on Christmas Day, you can bet GSW is making a list of what they need and want for the rest of the season.

This is a list of the 25 things that are on Golden State's Christmas list.

And of course like any Christmas list, there are some things the Warriors don't necessarily need in order to win a title, but probably just want.

Andre Iguodala to Get Healthy

After suffering a hamstring strain in his left knee, seen in the video above, Andre Iguodala is out indefinitely for the Golden State Warriors. 

Iguodala was probably the most versatile player for the Warriors. He could hit game-winning three-pointers and defend their opponents best player. Although he starts as a small forward, the Warriors' big offseason acquisition had also been playing point guard in place of Stephen Curry who was out with a concussion.

His defense, athleticism and versatility are greatly missed when he is out. Although his hamstring won't need surgery, he is still out indefinitely. There is no real timetable as to when he will return, and with the injury bug biting just about every team in the NBA, I'm sure the Warriors will be cautious with his return.

But his 12.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game will definitely be missed.

Stephen Curry to Stay Healthy

Coming off his first healthy offseason since his rookie year, it seemed Stephen Curry's health issues were all behind him. 

But so far Curry has missed three of the Warriors' 18 games this season.

Curry recently missed two games due to a concussion, which isn't too worrisome since it was a completely random injury and not a perennial ankle injury.

But he did miss the Warriors game against Western Conference foe San Antonio Spurs because of a bone-bruised left ankle he suffered against the Minnesota Timberwolves, seen in the video above.

His left ankle isn't the troublesome right ankle he always seems to have issues with, but it's an ankle problem nonetheless.

He returned a game later, scoring 22 points in the Warriors loss against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Curry has since returned to play from his latest injury, his concussion, and doesn't seem to have missed a beat, averaging 27 points in his last five games, including a monstrous 36-point game against the Sacramento Kings.

Hopefully Curry can continue to stay healthy—his ankles, his head and everything in between.

A Win Against the Hated Los Angeles Clippers

In case you didn't know, the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers don't really like each other.

As reported by Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles, Warriors head coach Mark Jackson said this about the two teams after their first meeting this season, "We have similar stories.  Both franchises and both teams struggled for a long time and now both teams are relevant. We respect one another, but there's an edge to it."

The gritty matchup ended in a 126-115 Clippers victory and had numerous scuffles in between, including the Andrew Bogut/DeAndre Jordan fight seen in the video above.

The Clippers and the Warriors will face each other again on Christmas Day, and you can be sure the Warriors will want revenge in their Christmas rematch.

Healthy Toney Douglas

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Toney Douglas isn't the Golden State Warriors superstar, and he doesn't score all that much, although his 21-point game against the Spurs this season proves he can when needed, but he is essential for the Warriors' success.

The Warriors are pretty thin on the bench, but they are especially thin at the point guard position.

They have Stephen Curry, of course.  Then, they have Toney Douglas.  And then, after that it's pretty much been Andre Iguodala.

Curry has a history of injury problems, as already discussed.  Douglas is currently out with a stress reaction in his left tibia.  He is day-to-day, and has already been out for over the two weeks the doctors predicted for his injury.

Now that Iguodala is out indefinitely and Douglas is still out, injury-prone Curry is at it pretty much alone at the point guard spot.

Nemanja Nedovic is technically the second-string point guard, but he hasn't seen the floor very much this season and is definitely a step down from Douglas.

The Warriors need to back-up their superstar PG and Douglas is the best fit for the job.

Less Turnovers from Stephen Curry

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In Curry's last five games, he is averaging 4.6 turnovers per game.  In his 36-point game against the Kings, he had seven.

That is way too many for an elite point guard.

Granted, with Andre Iguodala and Toney Douglas out, he has had to play more minutes at point guard, giving him more opportunities to turn the ball over.  But, still, for the Warriors to truly be title contenders, he has got to cut down on his turnovers.

Plain and simple.

Their Sleeved Christmas Jerseys to Not Look Like Baby Gap T-Shirts

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I'm not really sure what the deal is with the sleeved jerseys this year, but the NBA and Adidas are putting a new spin on sleeved jerseys with big logos.

The logos may be big, but the shirts are very tight.  Harrison Barnes is a very slim guy and even on him this jersey is pretty tight.  Imagine that jersey tucked in, very small, very tight.

A Win Against the Memphis Grizzlies

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Klay Thompson tries to finish against the bigger Zach Randolph

The Warriors 88-81 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this season made it their 11th straight loss to the Grizzlies. It was also the second loss to the Grizzlies this season for the Warriors.

The Warriors were without Stephen Curry for one of those games, but needless to say, the Warriors struggle against the Grizzlies.

Golden State gets two more chances to beat Memphis this season before playoffs—one on Dec. 7 and one on March 28. With the wounds still fresh from the Nov. 20 loss to the Grizz, surely Stephen Curry, who sat out due to a concussion, and the rest of the Warriors want to break their 11-game losing streak to the Grizzlies.

Solid Bench Play

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OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 20: Kent Bazemore #20 and members of the Golden State Warriors bench react to a play against the Memphis Grizzlies on November 20, 2013 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees tha

As reported by Marcus Thompson II of San Jose Mercury News, Warriors head coach Mark Jackson shared his opinion on what a bench should be:

"

When you go to your bench, the good teams either keep the game where it is or they increase a lead.  What you don't want is to be thinking 'I've got to get my starters back in there quick.' That's not getting the job done.

"

Although health has been a big issue for the Warriors bench, it isn't the only issue.

While Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green and since his return Jermaine O'Neal have been productive off the bench.  After that, there's a lot of drop off.

According to Hoopstats.com the Warriors bench is averaging 22.4 points per game, that's pretty much what Stephen Curry averages by himself with 21.3 points per game.  Compare that with the San Anntonio Spurs, who are arguably the best team in the league: their bench averages 43.9, almost double Golden State's.

Like Mark Jackson said, good teams can't only rely on their starters.  The starters will undoubtedly need some rest during the long 82-game season, especially if they want to make a legitimate run at a title.

If the bench doesn't become more productive and more consistent the starters will either get worn out before playoffs or the Warriors' record will take a hit as Jackson rests his starters more and allows his bench to continue their poor play.

If the Warriors want to be in the Western Conference Finals this year they really need their bench to step up.

Klay Thompson to Continue His Hot Streak

Klay Thompson is having a career year. He is averaging 20.8 points per game, shooting 48.3 percent from the field.

The second Splash Brother is stepping from outside Stephen Curry's shadow and coming into his own this season. He kicked off the year with a season-high 38 points against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Warriors season-opener seen in the video above, and has since had two more 30-point performances.

And according to Marcus Thompson of San Jose Mercury News, his head coach Mark Jackson thinks he's one of the top shooting guards in the game, "He's a top-five (shooting) guard in this league, and I'm being respectful."

Thompson has become invaluable to this team.

In wins, Thompson averages 23.9 points per game. In losses, he averages 17.4. For the most part, if he's doing well, the Warriors are doing well.

Not only does Thompson score, he also usually takes on the biggest role defensively.

Although their success doesn't completely rely on him, he is definitely carrying more weight on his shoulders this year than last year, and without his scoring, it will be much harder for the Warriors to make a run at the title.

Defensive Intensity with or Without Igoudala

According to Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN.com, the Golden State Warriors are a "defensive juggernaut."

As Ethan Strauss points out in the video above, they do have some solid defensive pieces: Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut to name a few. But with Andre Iguodala out indefinitely the Warriors will all need to step up defensively.

While it is true, it has been a long time since the Warriors had a good defense, and it is true their defense has greatly improved this season, there is still some room for improvement.

Golden State is currently 10th in the league in defensive efficiency, allowing 98.8 points per game.

Although that is a good improvement from 2009-10 season when they were 29th out of 30 teams for defensive rating, top notch teams have top notch defenses. The Indiana Pacers, who currently have the best record in the league, are first in defensive efficiency. Among the top five are the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat.

If the Warriors want to be an elite team, they will need to have an elite defense with or without Andre Iguodala.

Curry to out-Assist Chris Paul on Christmas Day

In 13 matchups in four years, Stephen Curry has out-assisted Chris Paul just once in a Warriors win on Jan. 2, 2013.  Curry had eight, Paul had six. 

Besides that one night, Curry has only tied the Clippers point guard twice, the other 10 times Paul has out-assisted Curry, which he did in their offensive duel this season (highlights from both payers can be seen in the video above).

The matchup is pretty even in wins and losses, Paul with seven and Curry with six, but if Curry wants to cement himself as an elite point guard, not just an elite shooter, he needs to out-assist, out-score and win against Chris Paul, who is arguably the best point guard in the game right now.

As I stated before, the Warriors, who don't really care for their California neighbors, will have another shot at the Clippers on Christmas Day. It would be a very nice Christmas gift for Dub-Nation if the Warriors not only won the war and got a win on Christmas, but also if Curry won the point guard battle.

And that won't happen unless Curry out-assists Chris Paul.

More Road Wins

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Andrew Bogut and David Lee try to grab a rebound on the road vs. the Sacramento Kings

The Warriors have been pretty up and down this season.  Health has had a lot to do with their inconsistency, but so has their inability to win on the road. 

They are currently 5-6 on the road, and they have lost three out of their last five road games.

In the month of December they have eight road games.  At the end of December and the beginning of January, the Warriors go on a seven-game road trip. 

The Warriors record could take a beating in December and January if they can't figure out a way to win consistently on the road, healthy or not.

Warriors to Cut Down on Turnovers

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As I mentioned before, point guard Stephen Curry is averaging too many turnovers per game for an elite PG. Apparently he's not the only one. The Warriors as a team are averaging 17.5 turnovers per game, good (or bad) for 28th in the league, out of 30 teams.

That's too many for an elite team.

The Warriors are eighth in the league for pace, which likely increases their turnovers, but to give up that many possessions a game won't result in wins over good teams.

To become an elite team, one on track for a title, the Warriors have to cut down on their team turnovers.

A Win Against Oklahoma City Thunder

So far this season the two Golden State Warriors-Oklahoma City Thunder games have not disappointed.  The first ended with a last second Andre Iguodala three, giving the Warriors the victory.  The second ended with a last second Russell Westbrook three seen in the video above, giving the Thunder the victory.

The Warriors and the Thunder have one more shot at each other for the 2013-14 regular season—a tie-breaker of sorts.

Jan. 17 at Oklahoma City will decide who wins this regular-season series.  You can bet the Warriors will be ready for revenge after the heartbreaking loss a few nights ago.

The Warriors were without Iguodala who was the hero of the first matchup.

If Golden State is back full force with a healthy Iguodala, the game will be just as exciting as the other two.

Harrison Barnes to Go off

Harrison Barnes missed the first four games of this season due to a foot injury, and since his return he's been fairly productive, but he can definitely do more.

So far this season he is averaging 13.3 points per game. His name has been thrown around in Sixth Man of the Year discussions, and his 26-point game in the Warriors loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, highlights seen in the video above, undoubtedly strengthened his case.

But there is still more for the 2012 seventh overall draft pick.

His post game has improved tremendously and his three-point shooting has improved from 35.9 percent last season to 52 percent this season, but if Barnes can consistently score 15 or more points per game, which he has in his last five games, the Warriors' weak bench will immediately be strengthened.

I don't know about you, but I'm hoping for a 30-plus game from Barnes.

Continue to Show Some Grit

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David Lee takes the contact from New Orleans' Anthony Davis

Although their mascot is the Warriors, Golden State is not known for their tough play, but so far this season they've shown some grit.

Without their starting point guard, the Warriors showed some toughness in their 76-74 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Although they lost, they held the Spurs to 74 points, and almost managed to win with just 76 points.

That's something we're not used to seeing with the Warriors.

They've locked down defensively and when their shots aren't falling, they've learned to work for their points, like Barnes posting up smaller guards.

The Warriors have to learn how to win with or without everyone healthy, especially since so far this season, there haven't been many games where everyone on their team is healthy. They will have to grit out some games this season.

Finish Top 2 in Western Conference

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GSW's Draymond Green attempts a block against the San Antonio Spurs Aron Baynes.

The Western Conference is filled with talent this year. The Warriors will be fighting for a top seed with the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, and Houston Rockets just to name a few.

The Warriors are currently 10th overall in ESPN's Hollinger Power Rankings. And if the playoffs were today, they would barely make the cut at eighth in the Western Conference. They are currently 4.5 games behind the Western Conference leading Spurs.

If they end up near the bottom of the playoff seeding they will likely be facing the San Antonio Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder or even the Portland Trailblazers, who are currently second in the Western Conference, in their first playoff series.

The Warriors need to be near the top of the West to make sure they don't face a really tough team really early in the playoffs.

Stephen Curry to Join the Elite

Stephen Curry is obviously one of the best shooters in the game, and his breakout season last year put his name in talks of being a part of the "elite" players in the NBA.

Even before his breakout season last year, fellow great point guard Chris Paul knew Curry was special, just watch the video above. Paul talks about Curry before his rookie season in Oakland.

A good, healthy season for Curry this year can cement his name in that "elite" group. If he can cut down on his turnovers, keep up his scoring and throw in some game winners, he can solidify his eliteness.

And if he can be elite, the Warriors can be elite.

For Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry to Make the Nets Sing Like This

If that video doesn't get you in the Christmas spirit, nothing will.

But I'm sure every Warriors fan is hoping that the Splash Brothers can light it up like this, together.

For the most part this season, Thompson and Curry have both had their hot moments, individually, but they have rarely had a night where both Splash Brothers are on fire at the same time, although their combined 64 points against the Kings beg to differ.

But for the most part, we haven't gotten to see a Splash Brothers three-point showcase.

With GSW's inconsistency this season, Dub-Nation has got to be hoping for the Splash Brothers to catch fire at the same time, and there would be no better time than Christmas day against the hated Clippers.

Less Andrew Bogut Fights

Andrew Bogut has been extra fiesty this season. 

Slide 3 shows Andrew Bogut getting into a shoving match with DeAndre Jordan, but his latest scuffle came against the Portland Trailblazers. Just take a look in the video above.

The fight resulted in Bogut and Mo Williams each receiving a one-game suspension for their contributions to the scuffle.

Although I think most fans enjoy a good push and shove every now and then, I don't think Golden State fans love having Bogut suspended. Their already thin roster, can't use any more injuries let alone suspensions.

Settle down, Bogut.

Stay Above .500

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The talented Golden State Warriors prepares for a game against the Portland Trailblazers at home in Oakland.

At 10-8, the Warriors are flirting with .500, which would definitely be underachieving for the talented team.

Although Golden State has had some health issues and has rarely had all of its core players healthy at the same time, it still has enough to be above .500.

Klay Thompson has been lighting it up this season, Harrison Barnes looks like an early Sixth Man of the Year candidate and David Lee has been pretty solid so far.

Even without some of their core players the Warriors are an above .500 team and shouldn't dip below it at all this season.

A Big Silver Basketball

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All teams playing on Christmas will wear these sleeved jerseys, all of which were modeled with this shiny mirrored basketball.

I don't know what this snazzy, silver-bell basketball is all about, but it would be pretty awesome if Christmas Day games were played with this. Am I right?

Jermain O'Neal to Continue to Play Well

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Seventeen-year veteran Jermaine O'Neal elevates for a dunk in GSW's win against the Sacramento Kings

Jermaine O'Neal is finally healthy, which gives the Warriors some much needed depth on their bench. 

In his first game back, O'Neal scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds to help the Warriors get a road win against the New Orleans Pelicans.

But since then he has been fairly quiet, scoring six, five and eight points in the three games after his return. It's no secret the Warriors need some production off the bench, and if O'Neal can produce by scoring and rebounding consistently, Golden State's starting posts won't be run ragged trying to win games.

Get Another Big Win

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Top point guard Curry goes head-to-head with top point gguard Russell Westbrook.

The Warriors are barely over .500 and have yet to win against a big-time opponent except for their one win against the Thunder.

To be a legitimate contender, they have to win against playoff and title contending teams.

In December, they face the Rockets, Spurs, Clippers and Grizzlies, all playoff teams from last year. They need to get some big wins against big teams to be an elite team.

Get Back on Track as a Legitimate Title Contender

The Warriors have been inconsistent this season, to say the least. Their health has been inconsistent, their bench has been inconsistent, and they have yet to consistently win against big time teams.

Golden State rightfully garnered a lot of buzz this offseason by acquiring Andre Igoudala and coming off a very successful season and postseason that featured the Splash Brothers' coming out parties.

But so far this season, they have underachieved.

Every Warriors player, coach and fan wants their team to get back on track to the title. Their talent warrants the hype they have been getting, but their play hasn't. With or without consistent health, Golden State needs to find a way to win.

The Warriors can be an elite team, but they have to play like one first, consistently.