With the Return of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Will the Golden State Warriors be a Title Challenging Team Again?

As it stands, the Golden State Warriors will end the NBA 2019/20 season with the worst record in the league. Out of the 65 games they played, they were able to scrape through just 15 wins. The injuries to their main players Klay Thompson and later Steph Curry was a major factor in this. But how would they look with a fully fit team?

Back in April, two NBA executives were asked by Bleacher Report on how would a healthy Warriors team look like. “They’re not (going to be) as good as the Lakers or the Clippers the next few years,” said an unnamed Western Conference executive who asked that his name and title not be used. While the Eastern Conference GM said, “I don’t think it’s realistic [that they’ll be title contenders], but they’ll still be one of the top teams in the West.” 

They are not wrong.

Golden State Warriors starting lineup assessment

The ability of two-time MVP Curry and five-time All-Star Thompson is unquestionable. Two of the greatest shooters to ever play the game, they are rightly named the Splash Brothers. Together, they are the best backcourt in the NBA. In 2015, they became the first guard combo to be named to the All-NBA Team in the same season since 1980.

However, the rest of the team seems to be lacking.

The #1 pick of the 2014 Draft Class, Andrew Wiggins has not fulfilled his expectations so far. He is an elite athlete and a good scorer but he has failed to make the most out of it. His lack of leadership, inability to play defense, and do anything apart from scoring is the reason why he’s been disappointing for someone called the next LeBron James. But after joining the Warriors, he has shown glimpses of improvement.

Draymond Green is not the same defensive stalwart he was. The 2019-20 season was his worst defensive performance, when you look at his defensive win shares (n estimate of the number of wins contributed by a player due to his defense). He has always been mediocre at offense and even that has become worse. His regression has really been sad to watch.

An undersized center at 6’9″, Kevon Looney has been decent for the Warriors. He has had a few good games but nothing exceptional. He may improve in the future, being just 24 now, but at his current ability, he is a role player at best.

Bench unit assessment

On the bench, Eric Paschall is their best player. He was in the Rookie of the Year conversations at the start of the season, but that died down soon. For being a 41st overall pick, he has exceeded all expectations. He may not have the same ability or impact as Andre Iguodala had, but his 14 points off almost 50% shooting has been impressive.

Other bench players like Damion Lee, Jordan Poole, and Marquess Chris have shown they can be solid bench pieces.

When you compare this squad to the LeBron James led Lakers or Kawhi Leonard’s Clippers, the Warriors considerably fall short. The Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, and even the Jazz have much stronger bench units which give them a big advantage over the Warriors. But not all teams boast a unanimous-MVP on their team. Curry along with Klay can take them to at least midway in the playoff standings. But a title doesn’t seem likely with this roster.