SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 07: Draymond Green #23 shakes hands with Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors after they beat the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center on November 07, 2022 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
At the time of writing this blog, the Golden State Warriors are 42-38 on the season. So, if you’re thinking, ‘Wait, that’s not the record of a contender,’ you aren’t the only one. Also, the Dubs have a 9-30 record in road games, which puts them ahead of only the Spurs, Hornets and Wizards. As a team, it’s never good to be compared to tanking squads, but again — the Warriors aren’t an ordinary team.
In today’s breakdown, we’ll take a look at the Warriors’ 2023 NBA title odds and explain why things aren’t the way they seem. Aside from the stats and predictions, we’ll also analyse some more unusual incidents this season, such as Draymond Green’s suspension. After all, it’s not every day a team’s title hopes are marked by violent incidents, painkiller conspiracies, and potentially missing the playoffs.
As reported by the BBC, Steph was instrumental in the comeback victory a few days back. But the dynasty of the last decade or so isn’t solely due to him. The team drafted Curry in 2009, but injuries and question marks marred the early part of his career. At one point, they were desperate to get rid of him, even thinking the mercurial Monta Ellis might be a better long-time solution.
Thankfully, they opted for Curry, but the real catalyst of change was the addition of Andrew Bogut. The Australian was the top pick of the ‘05 Draft, but a horrific arm injury almost dispersed his dreams of stardom. But against all odds, Bogut switched his playstyle and became a master defender, rebounder, and screen-setter.
Then, we can’t forget the drafting of Klay Thompson and Draymond Green in 2011 and 2012, respectfully. Klay was touted as a promising shooter, but no one could predict he’d become the 2nd best shooter of all time. Likewise, Green was an undersized forward out of Michigan who barely squeaked into the second round. Today, he’s a DPOY and perhaps the most vocal defender in the last 20 years or so.
Of course, we can’t forget the fantastic things the Warriors’ ownership did. Joe Lacob stayed true to his word and went into the luxury tax to keep the team together. There’s also the Steve Kerr factor. He’s the main reason why most sites by bookmakers.bet won’t count the Warriors just yet.
But despite their championship pedigree, the Dubs won’t have such an easy time repeating this year. Sure, the main core is still there, but one of the strangest seasons in franchise history put a dent in their hopes of extending their dominance.
The Playoff push is still alive, and many punters think they’re taking it all the way. In fact, most people seemingly don’t care about this season’s issues. But upon taking a closer look, these things aren’t as benign as they seem, and it looks like Dell Curry’s son won’t be able to carry them again.
First and foremost, the team traded away former 2nd overall pick James Wiseman. To further complicate things, they threatened to axe the deal because they thought the Blazers didn’t disclose info about Gary Payton II’s injury. Apparently, they accused Portland of forcing GPII to take Toradol instead of properly rehabbing his abdomen.
And then, there was the famous Draymond Green punching incident. The things between him and Poole have been chippy for some time, culminating in a hook that landed on Poole’s face. Somehow, Dray wasn’t suspended, and instead, the Dubs sent him away from the team and imposed a fine. Oh, and the video was supposedly leaked by a disgruntled employee in the practice facility.
Unfortunately, Draymond didn’t cool down and even got his 16th tech of the season. But truth be told, it wasn’t all because of chemistry issues. Key players from 2022, such as Nemanja Bjelica, Otto Porter Jr. and Juan Toscano Anderson, all left at the end of the previous season. It turns out Moses Moody, JaMychal Green and the corpse of Andre Iguodala aren’t a proper season-long rotation. Who would’ve thought?
Even the injury bug didn’t miss the Dubs. Curry missed 11 games due to a leg injury, Poole has been battling discolouration and other issues, while Wiggins missed 20+ games due to personal issues. And to add insult to injury, Klay’s shooting percentages were downright horrendous for most of the year. Ultimately, this was a challenge even the Dubs couldn’t fully overcome.
As many players throughout the NBA said — no one wants to meet the Warriors in the Playoffs. They weren’t so remarkable last season, but that didn’t stop them from taking down the Celtics. But every year’s different. In 2022/23, the team was even in danger of missing the Play-In Tournament, but they are currently the 6th seed. And seeing how close we are to the end of the season, it’s likely to stay this way.
With that in mind, the Warriors can advance to the Conferences Semis. The Kings are locked in 3rd place, which sets us up for a fantastic matchup. Sacramento may have a stellar team this year, but they severely need more playoff experience. This might make them vulnerable to the Dubs’ championship pedigree. Then again, the Warriors don’t have the athleticism, youth or bench to match the Kings.
But don’t forget the deadlock at the bottom of the West. The Clippers, Warriors, Lakers, Pelicans and Wolves are just 1-2 games from each other. This could put Golden State against even Denver or Memphis, which would be a difficult challenge. Both teams are vulnerable, but the Warriors need a string of miracles to be the NBA Champions two years in a row.
To succeed once again, Steve Kerr must find a reliable closing rotation. But a lot has changed since their odds to win were +800 in August, as quoted by SI. For the dubs to win, Draymond must keep his cool and contribute only to things he’s good at, and Jordan Poole must also get his act together and be a more reliable third option. Wiggins said he worked out with a personal trainer throughout his 20+ game absence, but can he return to game form? In conclusion, many pieces must fall into place for the Warriors to conquer NBA basketball again.