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In the eyes of many, the Warriors went from an NBA title contender to a borderline playoff team when Klay Thompson suffered a ripped Achilles at the end of the season on November 18.
It was a catastrophic injury that put a huge dent in the Warriors’ prospects heading into the 2020-21 NBA season.
But the Warriors are not throwing in the towel over the coming season. General manager Bob Myers drafted James Wiseman with the No.2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, then added Kelly Oubre Jr. in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder days later.
With a healthy Steph Curry, a motivated Draymond Green and a full season from Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors should still be a very good team.
If you completely cancel the Warriors as candidates for the Western Conference, that might not be a wise move.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith explained this week why he’s not sleeping on the Warriors this season.
“I’ve never seen someone, a leader, generate the level of selflessness that Steph Curry generates in his teammates,” Smith said on “First Take” Thursday. “They all know instinctively, when it comes to shooting the ball, if that brother has an inch free, give it to him. His movement without the basketball, his sniper shooting skills, all of them. those things considered, combined with Wiseman, a protected rim you picked with the No. 2 overall, being on the front court with Draymond, a Jordan Poole, others Kelly Oubre is a big pickup.
“I believe, with Steph Curry, could they do it? Would they be upset? Could they make it to a conference finals? Hell yes. [Los Angeles] Lakers like my favorite. I have the [Los Angeles] Clippers as the No.1 team to watch. But I don’t sleep on any team with a healthy Steph Curry and weapons. No firing of weapons, but the other weapons around him. Dude, I can’t sleep on it. “
Smith co-host Max Kellerman wasn’t so optimistic about the Warriors’ chances of going far, mainly due to the lack of an above-par second shooter.
“With that little shot you’re not going to make it to the NBA Finals,” Kellerman said. “It won’t happen, even with Steph Curry.”
RELATED: Where The Warriors’ Projected Win Total Lies After Klay’s Injury
Curry and Green prey on the skeptics, so they’ll be motivated by all the pundits saying they don’t stand a chance without Thompson.
It’s not often that Stephen A. says something we agree with, but he’s right. Don’t sleep on the warriors.
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