2020-2021 Golden State Warriors Season Outlook: Warriors Talk Writers Discuss How The Upcoming Season Will Look

With the start of the 2020-2021 NBA season tentatively scheduled to start on December 1, and with the Golden State Warriors’ season officially over, now is as good of a time as ever to begin speculating on things to come during Golden State’s offseason and upcoming season.

I sent out the Bat Signal to the Warriors Talk contributing writers for a roundtable Q&A session in hopes of getting an idea of what we can expect from the championship franchise in the coming year.

To what extent should the Warriors balance the now and the future this offseason?

Pete Hernandez: I agree that the Warriors front office would be wise in making moves this offseason to help contend while also to develop the roster for the future, but I personally would place great emphasis on the “now.” Curry, Thompson, and Green are 32, 30, and 30 years old respectively. The window for the three to make another run could close sooner rather than later, and you don’t want to waste the opportunity to contend while the core is still in their primes.

Alex Hutton: The focus has to be on the now. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are all at least 30 years old, and it will be hard to find three players whose styles of play fit together so perfectly anytime soon. Furthermore, if the NBA’s scheduling plans don’t change, the offseason will be short for most teams. The Warriors aren’t one of those teams. They need to take advantage of the fact that they might be better rested than a lot of the league’s best squads. The front office must push for at least one more title with the current core. 

Candice Evans: When you have guys like Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, the now has to be a priority. There are plenty of former One Directioners who waited to see the band live but put it off because they figured another opportunity would come. Well, the opportunity didn’t come because bands break up, and eras always come to an end. When there is a window of time, that window will close. The Warriors have a narrow window right now and need to climb through it before it snaps shut.

Carlos Murillo: It’s simple: you acquire a 25-year-old Giannis Antetokounmpo and you get the best of both worlds. On a serious note, it’s of the utmost importance to maximize the remaining prime years of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. Part of that means drafting good young talent — not necessarily a franchise cornerstone, but rather a guy who can support the core in the postseason. Do whatever you can to win now.

Which young player are you most excited to watch develop and progress next season?

Pete Hernandez: Marquese Chriss in my opinion. Andrew Wiggins is playing a huge role at the wing spot, but it was promising to see how much Chriss adapted to the Warriors system last season and that was without the spacing provided by Curry and Thompson in the backcourt. I think he has a great shot at holding down the center position for Golden State and I’m excited to see the effect on his game with the Splash Brothers back in the lineup.

Alex Hutton: I’m going with Jordan Poole. He had difficulty adjusting to the professional pace and style of play — but in the final five weeks before the season suspension, it seemed as though he was beginning to gain confidence, playing the way he wanted to play and finding his role on the team. He improved his stats in nearly every category and was gaining court time along with it. The 2020-2021 season will be a great way to determine if that period was a fluke or a positive trend that can continue.

Candice Evans: It’s hard to pick one young player because they all showed glimpses of hope during the season. Eric Pascall is an interesting case because he showed that he can be a third option on a good team and a quality bench player for a great team. If he stays in the lab during the summer and training camp, he can either turn into an x-factor for the Dubs or the missing piece to a monster trade package. He has the physical makeup that is in high demand in the trade market, and realistically cap space isn’t looking too hot. Trade can help beef up the current roster, and as much as Pascall may be loved, he is a valuable asset. 

Carlos Murillo: At 27-years-old, Juan Toscano-Anderson isn’t one of the “young” guys, per se, but he’s the type of guy you root for. An Oakland-born Mexican-American, Toscano-Anderson finally got his shot at the NBA with his hometown Warriors, but he’s really endeared himself to fans with his leadership during Bay Area Black Lives Matters protests. The hardworking 6’6 wing fits the culture, it’s exciting to see if he can fill the needs for disruptive defensive length and shooting. 

If everything remains on schedule, the Warriors will have a nearly nine-month gap between regular-season games. Who on the team benefits the most from that? Who is hurt the most by it?

Pete Hernandez: For sure the veteran core benefits from the added time off, Curry, Thompson, Green, Looney, etc. Especially for Thompson and Looney, the extra time (hopefully) helps them get their bodies healthy and back in playing shape. For the younger players, especially, Andrew Wiggins, I think they would have rather had the time for continued play and getting more acclimated to Golden State’s system. In the larger sense, I think the team as a whole will benefit, being rested and ready to take the rest of the league by storm out of the gate when there’s the likelihood of a condensed schedule next season (for the other teams heading to Orlando).

Alex Hutton: The biggest beneficiary is Green. As the Warriors struggled throughout the season, he was clearly exhausted physically and at times checked out mentally. He did occasionally show flashes of the player that has been so integral to five Finals runs and three titles, but a rough year caused all those long seasons to finally catch up to him. The extended hiatus gives him a chance to catch his breath and refocus as he prepares for further runs at the playoffs. As for who is hurt the most, Poole gets the nod on this one as well. This long offseason negatively affects all the young players — but the one who gets it the worst is the one who was most obviously hitting his stride right as the season came to a halt.

Candice Evans: Steve Kerr and the front office benefit the most because they have ample time to review all options and assess their point of attack going into next season. Kerr has all the time in the world to develop practice plans for and work out the young players. Defense, decision making, shooting consistency, all of that can be groomed during this break. In the meanwhile, Bob Myers has more time to sell his pitches to free agents. On the other hand, the young players need that real-game exposure to measure their progress, so they are getting the highs and lows of this potential nine-month off-season.

Carlos Murillo: The Warriors’ trophy case might have less hardware in it if not for Kevon Looney’s crucial perimeter defense. He’s currently recovering from several injuries and a surgery in May so that extra time off will do him well. The grueling NBA schedule and the grind of the regular season can take a toll on rookies, something they adjust to in their second year. Paschall and Poole have gotten bizarre starts to their careers and these unusual circumstances have to make finding their footing even more difficult.

If no trades are made, the starting lineup seems to be fairly set with Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Green and Chriss. Which starter’s backups will be the most interesting to watch?

Pete Hernandez: I say Klay’s backups will be intriguing to watch, especially at the onset of the season. He’s one of the greatest shooters of all time, but coming off an ACL recovery and with the extended time without on-court action, it may take time for him to adjust. That’s where Jordan Poole and Damion Lee will be vital. Lee showed some bright spots throughout last season, and Poole came into his own after going through some growing pains. I say Kerr is expecting efficient production out of both of them.

Alex Hutton: Wiggins. This is the case simply because of how much unknown there is when it comes to wing depth. The options range from using the traded player exception to bringing Glenn Robinson III back to adding someone in the draft to sticking with in-house players such as Juan Toscano-Anderson. Whichever direction the team goes in, it will be fascinating to determine whether or not they made the correct decision.

Candice Evans: I am definitely interested to see who will back up Stephen Curry. During the Steve Kerr era, Curry averaged 33 mpg during the regular season. He was able to get those breathers-- and stay fresh for the playoffs-- because of a man named Shaun Livingston backing him up. Who will be the Shaun Livingston of the second unit? Ky Bowman? Mychal Mulder? Other?

Carlos Murillo: Paschall might be the key to next season’s success. If he can grow defensively and become a reliable outside shooter, he can unlock the Warriors’ next small-ball lineup. Steve Kerr will look to preserve Draymond for the postseason, giving Paschall more opportunity to play with the Splash Brothers. 

Assuming all players are back at full strength, are the Warriors a legitimate title contender as is next season or more of a hopeful fringe team?

Pete Hernandez: I’ve seen what the core three can do on the biggest stage, the question will be how the supporting players and new faces contribute alongside Curry, Thompson, and Green, and frankly we haven’t seen a sample of that yet. At full health, I’ll put Golden State as a favorite for the third or fourth seed, surely competitive however I wouldn’t say a title favorite just yet. We need to see this team as a whole in action, but with the added rest I say they’ll benefit greatly in that pursuit of a title. 

Alex Hutton: It’s a toss-up between the two, but I lean slightly towards the latter. The top six or seven players, when playing at their best, stack up with just about any team in the Western Conference. After that, there are too many question marks with regards to the rest of the lineup. With that being said, if the Splash Brothers and Green can recapture their magic and the young players take steps in the right direction, there’s definitely a possibility that the Warriors will truly contend. 

Candice Evans: No, the current roster lacks veteran experience coming off the bench. Outside of the championship trio, the rest of the current roster are second-year players, G-League journeymen, and Andrew Wiggins-- who has been a part of one forgettable postseason. If the Warriors want to be legit title contenders, they need two vets coming off the bench-- specifically a point guard and a three and d guy.

Carlos Murillo: As long as Curry, Thompson, and Green are together, you can’t count them out. Those three have done some amazing things, especially when everyone has written them off. Their roster still has questions and the road to the top is going to be a lot more difficult than it has been in years past, but that core has the experience, talent, and championship mindset to make another run.