At the very least, expect thrills from Warriors.
The Warriors will be the NBA’s most interesting and fun team this season.
Yes, they will return to the status they have not achieved since the 201516 season — the league’s most riveting attraction. That doesn’t mean the Warriors will dominate like they did in the first two seasons of their dynasty, when they won a surprise championship and followed it with a 73-win regular season. But they will dominate the drama.
The thrills will come from the unpredictability. No other potentially elite team has as many crazy variables. Failure will be an option, boredom will not.
Seeds of greatness, potential for disaster. What more could you ask for? Here are five factors for fun:
The Thompson Factor
If Klay Thompson can Buster Posey up, bounce way back, the Warriors are golden.
Kevin Durant showed what a man can do coming back from a snapped Achilles. That’s all we expect from Thompson, a return to his old form.
He seems healthy and eager to go, although the Warriors will have to drag Thompson in off the bay, where he seems to be constantly paddling and sailing. He might appear in the lineup at Mavericks. He might become the first athlete ever to commute to work by kayak.
It will help Thompson if some of the team’s potential 3-point helpers actually help — Moses Moody, James Wiseman, Otto Porter Jr., Nemanja Bjelica. Give Thompson a little backup and he’ll return as the world’s greatest catch-and-shooter.
The Brain Factor
Smart basketball is the Warriors’ signature and legacy. The players on the team that launched the dynasty would have been eliminated in the first round of a high school dunk contest, but they could play.
They will be smarter this season than last. Andre “The Babysitter” Iguodala is back. Andrew Wiggins did well in his freshman year at Warriors’ U and will be a comfortable sophomore in the read-and-react system.
Juan Toscano-Anderson is another big mind-over-muscle player. With a year of experience, he will be more confident.
The most important new brain element might be Moody. From reports and stories, the rookie is unusual. Most young players start with their physical skills and, best case, develop a basketball mind. The 14th overall pick has been a mind guy from the start. He won’t just learn the plays, he’ll absorb the Warriors’ mentality. Give him two months drinking from the Draymond Green Fountain of Knowledge and Moody will be a ROY candidate.
The end-game lineup will be interesting. It will be Curry, Thompson and Green, surely, but the center could be ToscanoAnderson or Wiseman (if he develops) or even Porter, and the wing could be Wiggins or Moody.
Jonathan Kuminga? His contribution: TBD. The Warriors will need a meaningful contribution from either of their two top draft picks. If you have two student drivers in the front seat, one of them better be able to parallel park.
The Physical Factor
An anti-bully player or two would be very helpful. The league’s centers and power forwards are getting bigger and meaner. Wiseman should become more physical. Iguodala will help; he doesn’t get pushed around.
Kuminga isn’t going to outmuscle foes, but a player with his physical skills can add a measure of intimidation.
Who knows, maybe Curry will gain another 10 pounds of muscle and start pushing people around. Yeah, that’s not going to happen, but the Warriors have at least a chance of improving their 90-poundweakling image.
The Air Factor
There’s something in the air in the Bay Area this year, aside
from the tragic smell of burning forests.
We have taken over the sports world. The Giants and A’s are dominating their leagues. The 49ers have built serious expectations.
The Giants will be the role model for the Warriors. Every significant S.F. player is having a bust-out season. It’s a combo of dynamic forces, but a big part of the success is intensive, progressive coaching. The Warriors have been plugged into the new technology and analytics for a while, and they will need to stay ahead of that curve with a staff that has a lot of new faces.
Bedrock coaches Ron Adams, Mike Brown and Bruce Fraser remain, but the addition of Kenny Atkinson, DeJan Milojevic and Jama Mahlalela should infuse some fresh energy and new ideas into the mix.
The Kerr Factor
The league has changed. Coaching an NBA team used to be a babysitting job. Now a coach must lead, innovate and adjust.
There are a lot of really good head coaches, but if you put them all in a group and choose up sides, playground-style, Kerr might be the No. 1 pick.
A dreamer, realist and student, Kerr has learned a lot in the past two seasons about adversity, chemistry and just plain coaching.
Many experts are not impressed with the Warriors’ offseason changes and additions. Sometimes, the experts know too much and don’t feel enough.
There will be excitement. Now, if the Warriors open the season 2-14, forget you read any of this.