Warriors' Biggest Takeaways from 2021 NBA Season
The Golden State Warriors' 2020-21 season was a lot of different things at a lot of different times.
Sometimes it was encouraging. Sometimes it was frustrating. Sometimes it was confusing.
Usually, it was some degree of fun, although decidedly not when the Dubs went 0-for-2 in play-in games despite a combined 76 points from Stephen Curry.
Ultimately, the campaign was informative about where this franchise is at, potential next steps and what needs to happen to get there. While the Warriors front office might have a stack of season-long takeaways to sift through, the following three felt most notable to us.
Stephen Curry, Draymond Green Can Anchor a Championship Run...With Enough Help
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The Warriors should be excited about all of the ways they can bring the rest of their roster up to championship level. Whether it's aggressively working the trade market or burning the midnight oil on the player-development front, they have options to strengthen the supporting cast.
But the only reason those efforts could have significance beyond the Bay Area is because Curry and Draymond Green just showed they can lead a championship offense and defense, respectively.
The rest of the formula no longer matters had either one shown signs of aging. Instead, Curry captured his second scoring crown on the third-highest true shooting percentage of his career, while Green helped the Dubs defend at a top-five level.
Curry made the finalists group for the MVP; Green did the same for Defensive Player of the Year. The two 30-somethings remain elite in their craft, which is why Golden State can realistically expect to contend for the crown next season.
Jordan Poole Entered the Circle of Trust
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As recently as February, it felt fair to wonder whether Jordan Poole was simply a lost cause.
After drafting the scoring guard 28th overall in 2019, the Dubs never found a role that fit him last season. He shot just 33.3 percent from the field in 2019-20 and looked only slightly less lost on offense through his first 15 games this year (42.6) before getting sent to the G League.
But something clicked during that stint in Santa Cruz, and he was different player when he returned to the Warriors. He dropped 26 points in his return, which sparked a 10-game streak of double-digit scoring. Golden State coach Steve Kerr entrusted Poole with running the second unit and plans to keep it that way for the foreseeable future.
"As we look ahead, I think he's going to be a sixth man," Kerr told reporters. "He's really capable of getting 20 any night. It's so great to have scoring off the bench."
The Warriors have seemingly been searching for non-Curry scoring and shot creation forever. Poole showed enough in those final two months to believe he can keep scratching that itch.
James Wiseman Needs a Lot of Work
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James Wiseman showed flashes that made it clear why the Warriors drafted him second overall last offseason. He also displayed such a severe lack of polish that makes you wonder whether Golden State can entertain win-now dreams with him on the roster.
The Warriors couldn't win with him this season. They went 18-21 when he played and 21-12 when he didn't. Their net efficiency dropped by an obscene 13.5 points per 100 possessions when he hit the hardwood.
He's a raw 20-year-old, and it shows. His future intrigues—he might one day be an explosive rim-runner with a three-ball—but the Warriors might be too concerned with the present to keep him around.
They aren't shopping Wiseman, but "they would listen if an All-Star player was on the table," per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto. That's probably the right way to handle this. The Warriors shouldn't be giving away Wiseman, but they should be open to making an impact move that maximizes what's left of Curry's prime.
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