Warriors predictions for season of 2020-21
Before taking any of what you’re about to read too seriously, remember: This is supposed to be fun. The NBA season is about to tip off and, in these uncertain times, allow me to find levity with some crazy (and not-so- crazy) predictions to celebrate the return of Warriors basketball.
Here are 21 predictions for the 2020-21 season.
1. THERE ARE NO FIREWORKS
WHEN KEVIN DURANT AND THE WARRIORS MEET >> Durant makes his Nets debut in the season opener against the Warriors on Dec. 22 in Brooklyn. On Feb. 13, Durant returns to the Bay Area to play at Chase Center. There will be plenty of hoopla from fans and media, but the sense here is that both parties are still exhausted from the drama of 2019 and won’t create a ruckus. A dap between Durant and Draymond Green. A hug with Steph Curry. Tip.
2. DRAYMOND’S FIRST BLOW-UP OCCURS WITHIN THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF THE SEASON >> Ten of the Warriors’ first 14 games
are against teams who made the playoffs last season, many of them in the West. Green, who recently said anything less than a championship is a failure, tends to get frustrated early in the season.
3. KELLY OUBRE JR., NOT ANDREW WIGGINS, IS GOLDEN
STATE’S SECOND-LEADING SCORER THROUGH THE
FIRST HALF OF THE SEASON >> Wiggins may have the skillset to run the secondunit offense and is of more importance to the Warriors long-term, but Oubre has the mindset. He’s aggressive and is playing in a contract year. It may not always be pretty, but Oubre will average more points than Wiggins.
4. SOMEHOW, MYCHAL MULDER MAKES THE SECOND
MOST 3-POINTERS ON THE TEAM >> The Warriors still don’t know where Mulder falls in the rotation, but right now it seems he’s behind Kent Bazemore, Brad Wanamaker, Damion Lee and Jordan Poole on the depth chart. Still, there will be nights when the Warriors are clanking every 3-pointer they take and Steve Kerr will need to mix things up. When he looks down the bench in a pinch, Mulder is the mosttrusted 3-point shooter outside of Curry.
5. THE WARRIORS WIN 39 GAMES >> Las Vegas has their win total at 36.5. I’m taking the over.
6. JAMES WISEMAN WINS
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR >> Early bets are on Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball, but Ball’s efficiency numbers will make some voters balk while Wiseman, in a simple rim-running role, should fill the box score and shoot a higher percentage.
7. CURRY MAKES MORE THAN 300 3-POINTERS DE
SPITE THE SHORTENED SEASON >> He needs to make a little more than four per game in the 72game season. It would be fourth time in his career he eclipses the 300 mark. (But he doesn’t lead the league in made 3-pointers. That’s Buddy Hield.)
8. CURRY LEADS THE LEAGUE IN STEALS >> He averaged 2.3 per game in the preseason and the Warriors will encourage him more than ever to reach.
9. RELATED, THE WAR
RIORS LEAD THE LEAGUE IN STEALS >> Between Curry, Oubre, Wiggins and Green in the starting unit and Kent Bazemore and Brad Wanamaker coming off
the bench, the Warriors will always have multiple players on the floor who have made a career of getting deflections.
10. CURRY SIGNS THE FULL
THREE-YEAR, $155.7 MILLION EXTENSION >> Talks are ongoing and Curry has all but said he could be willing to take less to help Golden State build around him. Unfortunately, his cap hold will always be too much to create any real flexibility. He takes the money.
11. BRADLEY BEAL DOES NOT GET TRADED >> Washington ends up in the playoff mix in the East and decides to keep the core together, taking a potential trade target off the table for the Warriors.
12. But James Harden does.
13. TAKE ERIC PASCHALL’S
STATS FROM HIS ROOKIE
SEASON, AND HALVE THEM >> Quietly, Paschall struggled in his two preseason games. The playing time won’t be there this season like it was his rookie year, and if the 3-point shot doesn’t come around it could be difficult to find time.
14. THE WARRIORS USE THE DISABLED PLAYER EXCEPTION ON A CENTER >> If Al Horford or LaMarcus Aldridge are bought out by their current teams, both would be great stop-gap options that can defend the paint, space the floor and allow Wiseman to develop slowly.
15. AT LEAST ONE MORE WARRIORS PLAYER TESTS
POSITIVE FOR THE CORONAVIRUS DURING THE SEASON >> With teams traveling, it will be hard for the NBA to enforce its rules. This is not a bold prediction. Chances are every team will deal with a pos
itive test at some point. The Warriors have already had two with Green and Wiseman.
16. THE WARRIORS TRADE WIGGINS OR OUBRE IN A
WIN-NOW MOVE >> GM Bob Myers proved last year he’s not afraid to reshape a roster mid-season. Sure, the Warriors have much more at stake this season and will probably be competing for a playoff spot, but Wiggins and Oubre may be too redundant. Trading one ( Wiggins and his long-term salary or Oubre, who they may not be able to re-sign) could help elevate the other while filling a need — either shooting, defense or both — that could help them in the postseason.
17. THE WARRIORS PICK UP JORDAN POOLE’S ROOKIE OPTION >> Poole has put in enough work behind the scenes to earn it. Plus, with Lee, Wanamaker, Mulder and Oubre coming off the books next summer, they’ll need the cheap depth.
18. STEPHEN CURRY FIN
ISHES THIRD IN MVP VOTING >> Curry was supposed to be in the MVP race last season, but a broken hand prematurely ended his run. But let’s be honest, the campaign didn’t get off to a great start as the Warriors face-planted into an ugly 1-2 before Aron Baynes accidentally crushed Curry in October.
Similar to last season, Curry will be without Klay Thompson (out for the season with a torn Achilles) and will seek support from a young, new-look supporting cast. That’s not stopping me from predicting a do- over, and he’s got a better chance this time around.
Last year’s winner, Gi
annis Antetokoumpo, won’t go for three straight MVPs. The shine has worn off and, even though this is a regular-season award, those who vote (the media) want to see Antetokoumpo deliver in the playoffs. Ditto for Kawhi Leonard. The Lakers’ stars could split Los Angeles-based votes. No one likes James Harden anymore, and it’s too early to predict an MVP- caliber bounce-back by Kevin Durant.
That leaves Damian Lillard, Luka Doncic and Curry. I stop short of predicting Curry winning his third MVP because Lillard’s Trail Blazers and Doncic’s Mavericks had strong offseason that should propel each to better records than the Warriors. My money is on Lillard, because of his experience and media-wide appreciation. But Curry playing at an MVP-level is what Golden State needs.
19. THE WARRIORS WIN THE PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT >>
The NBA approved a onetime playoff play-in tournament this season, which will take place after the regular season and include the teams with the seventh-best through the 10th-best records in each conference. Golden State will finish the season with the seventh-best record and beat the eighth-place Suns to earn the No. 7 seed in the West.
20. WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF PICTURE >> Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Jazz, Trail Blazers, Mavericks, Warriors and… the Suns (who beat the Pelicans in the second round of the play-in tournament for the final playoff spot).
Lakers over Nets in six.