Last season was a strange one for the Golden State Warriors. In five of the last six seasons, the Warriors managed to find themselves winning the Western Conference Finals and competing for the NBA title.
In 2019-2020, though, the Warriors found themselves in a slump. Kevin Durant walked in free agency, and Klay Thompson was nursing a torn ACL, expecting to miss the entire season.
While Steph Curry was healthy at the start of the year, he suffered a significant setback, which kept him out for a majority of the season. With a roster mostly full of unknowns, the Warriors ended up placing dead last in the league with a record of 15-50.
As the team anticipated the return of Curry and Thompson for the 2020-2021 NBA season, Golden State was once again expected to be quite competitive this season. However, Thompson suffered yet another setback, which will end his comeback season before it ever even started.
The good news for Golden State is that Curry is healthy right now. And although the team is already shorthanded for the year, the former MVP guard believes that anybody who thinks Golden State is due for another disappointing year is sadly mistaken.
There is no doubt the Warriors are a better team with Klay Thompson playing alongside Curry. But the 32-year-old guard believes that the current Golden State roster can still compete with the best in the West.
“We know we can compete with anyone in the league,” Curry told Marc Spears of The Undefeated. “It’s kind of crazy. We know how great Klay is. Don’t get me wrong. But we hear the chatter. ‘It’s the end of for us. This year is a wash. What are we going to do in the future?’ But we are in the moment right now. It’s kind of refreshing being in that category as guys that are chasing. We know [the Los Angeles Lakers] are the defending champs. We got to beat them. We’re ready for it.”
Curry’s confidence in his squad isn’t shocking. After all, the Warriors’ superstar has won more often than not throughout his successful career. While Golden State is undoubtedly less likely to make a big run without Thompson, don’t count Golden State out just yet. Last season’s failure had everything to do with a lack of talent and chemistry on an injury-riddled team.
Golden State might not fully bounce back right away, but they should be in the Western Conference playoff conversation as Curry’s return will give them an instant boost this season.
