Stephen A. Smith Floats Championship Potential For Warriors
For the first time since 2015, the Golden State Warriors won each of their first three games of the season, and this start has been met with enthusiasm.
Perhaps the most exciting part of their strong beginning is the fact that they don’t seem to be playing at their full potential yet. While they have made notable progress from last season in a number of areas, they had some very shaky stretches in wins over both Los Angeles teams. Furthermore, they are still awaiting the return of Klay Thompson and James Wiseman from injury. While it is uncertain how much either one can contribute when they come back, the possibility of what they can offer is exciting.
Many in the media have begun speculating about just how far the team can go, but no one made a bolder statement than ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
“If Klay Thompson comes back healthy … the Warriors might win it all,” Smith said after the second game, a 115-113 win over the Clippers, during his show First Take. “I really mean it. I’m not playing with anybody.”
Although it’s still a bit too early to really determine how accurate Smith’s claim is, his optimism is understandable. Even in just three games, it’s clear how much better this year’s team is than last year’s. They play a generally smarter style of basketball, their offense is more free-flowing and their defense, one of the NBA’s best last season, has remained solid thus far. Jordan Poole has improved immensely. After some players last year clearly had difficulty getting acclimated to Steve Kerr’s system, the front office signed higher-IQ players who fit the team better and, at least so far, it has paid off in the form of an improved bench and strong contributions from role players.
Yes, the opening games have seen some of the same issues that Kerr’s teams always seem to face, such as an excessive amount of turnovers. But those problems have a different context this time. For example, the 2020-2021 season saw Golden State post the NBA’s seventh-highest turnover percentage. These turnovers tended to be a result of miscommunication and bad decision-making. This year, they have felt more frequently like a player simply getting a bit careless while trying to make the right play. They are closer to the turnovers the team committed during their dominant run of success from 2014 to 2019, and are a sign of a smarter team that can improve and take care of its issues by staying focused. Sunday night’s win over the Sacramento Kings was a step in that direction, as the Warriors committed just six turnovers.
In addition, the current Warriors could bring positive change for Stephen Curry. Last season, in spite of playing with some of the worst floor spacing for any star in the league, Curry won the scoring title while shooting over 42% on three-pointers. This year, with better shooters who have a greater understanding of how to play with him, Curry should have more room to operate. Although he only shot well in one of the three games, he got great looks in all three and posted a total of 93 points. If Thompson can be a knockdown shooter again and Wiseman can be a scoring threat around the rim upon returning, Curry should get even more free space and command the Warrior offense in the way that the league expects from him.
“I’m just looking at this roster right now,” Smith said. “The Warriors may win it all. They may win it all this year.”
As the Warriors traversed through an up-and-down season last year, fans were left to wonder how good they could be with just a few personnel adjustments and the returns of injured players. We are gradually getting closer to the team actually being constructed that way, and so far the results have been mostly positive. The next step might be to determine just how much validity there is to Smith’s declaration.
(Photo credit: Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press)