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The Stephen Curry-led Golden State Warriors have been described as the most dominant NBA dynasty in the modern era of professional basketball.
It wasn't just that they went to five straight NBA finals, something that hadn't been done since the 1960s, the Golden State Warriors also broke several records in the process.
They dominated teams for several seasons, going 73-9 in the 2016 regular season and winning three rings in five years. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson went on to break numerous three-point records, and the Golden State Warriors were often beating teams by margins of more than 20 points.
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However, Bay area fans love to reminisce the five-year period before the Golden State Warriors' fairy-tale run came to an end during the 2019 NBA Finals after Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson went down with serious injuries.
It saw an end to their dynasty, and subsequently, Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets. Fast-forward to the 2020-21 season, the Golden State Warriors have entered a new era where they are the ones chasing the top teams and not the ones being chased.
The Golden State Warriors' 2020-21 campaign started on a rough note as their star shooting guard Klay Thompson injured his Achilles a day ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft. The team stuck to their plan and drafted big man James Wiseman. But it is safe to say, what was once a title-contending roster is now reduced to a bottom-seed playoff team.
On that note, let's take a look at three areas to keep an eye on as the Golden State Warriors enter the 2nd half of the 2020-21 NBA season.
#1 Golden State Warriors' ceiling for the 2020-21 NBA season
The Golden State Warriors are currently ninth in the Western Conference standings after a record of 19-18 start to the season.
Their runs throughout the season have mostly been inconsistent; the Golden State Warriors have not had a single four-game winning or even a losing streak.
Stephen Curry recently spoke about the Golden State Warriors' 2020-21 NBA campaign, saying:
"We're a resilient team, which is why we haven't had a long losing streak. And we have a lot to learn, which is why we haven't had a long winning streak."
It is no secret that the Golden State Warriors' season is hinging on Curry's performances and how fit he can stay. He is leading the scoring, minutes played, and PER for the Golden State Warriors this season and is the second-highest in assists and steals. According to Curry, the Golden State Warriors' ceiling could be grabbing the 4th seed and achieving a home-court advantage in the playoffs.
The LA Lakers, LA Clippers and the Utah Jazz are likely to grab the top three seeds, given their performances this season.
Realistically, for the Golden State Warriors to grab the fourth seed, they'd not only have to perform excellently going forward but also wish for the other western teams to start tanking. As of the mid-season break, the Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets all have more wins than the Golden State Warriors.
Given the Golden State Warriors' inconsistent performances, it is increasingly difficult to see them getting a decent playoff spot. They certainly look like a playoff team. But their next half of the season will need to go according to plan, or else they'll find themselves in the play-in tournament to enter the postseason.
The most realistic end to their campaign could be a bottom-four seed. Given Curry's and Green's playoff and championship experience, the Golden State Warriors have a shot at getting past the first round of the postseason if they draw a decent opponent.
#2 How has the Golden State Warriors roster been this season?
The Golden State Warriors started their 2020-21 season poorly, but February was a good month for the team. Draymond Green showed off his playmaking prowess and Kelly Oubre Jr. drastically improved his shot selection and efficiency. Curry did Curry things and rookie James Wiseman has been developing at a steady pace.
Let's start with Curry. He is in absolute prime form right now, averaging numbers he did during his MVP-winning season. He is averaging nearly 30 points per game on 59.5% effective FG% this season. The only other player in NBA history to average 30+ points on 60+ eFG% was none other than Curry himself during his 2015-16 MVP-winning campaign.
Stephen Curry has been consistent for years. He has never shot below 40% from the three in his entire career, and his assist and rebound numbers have only gone up in recent years.
He is leading the league in total points scored and was the league's first player to reach the 1000-point mark in a season. Curry is averaging 1.17 points per possession as a pick-and-roll ball-handler, which is third-best in the league.
Curry's pick-and-roll partner Draymond Green has been incredible as well. He has shown his championship mettle of late, taken his playmaking to a new level. Green recently dropped 19 assists in a game and has had 7+ assists in every game in February, including several 15+ assist outings for the Golden State Warriors as well.
However, it's no secret that his shooting efficiency has gone down. Although he is not in the Golden State Warriors team for his scoring, the drastic drop in his shooting % is concerning.
Green is leading the Golden State Warriors in assists, rebounds and steals, while also coincidently averaging his fourth-best shooting season since his rookie year. Given the absence of Thompson and other consistent scorers, some improved shooting from Green could definitely come in handy for the Golden State Warriors.
Andrew Wiggins, meanwhile, has had a great improvement this season. Although he is averaging just 17 points per game, his improvement at the defensive end of the floor is noteworthy.
Wiggins has turned into a legitimate two-way force who is now leading the Golden State Warriors in blocks. He is often found guarding the opponent's best guard at the perimeter.
Kelly Oubre Jr. and Wiggins have been rotating between their positions. Their shot efficiency has been varying in the past few weeks, with Steve Kerr deciding who starts at two-guard or small forward.
After a horrendous start to his campaign, Kelly Oubre Jr is finally confident in taking threes and also doing what he does best, slashing and guarding opponents with grit.
Meanwhile, Kelly Oubre Jr.'s hustle is much valued by the Golden State Warriors. He is always leading in loose balls recovered and rushing to save the ball from going out of bounds. He takes pride in forcing turnovers and often acts like an off-ball pest, crowding passing lanes and grabbing balls from deflections.
James Wiseman and Kevon Looney are the Golden State Warriors' two bonafide centers. They often exchange starting roles, with the rookie Wiseman showing incredible potential for growth. He is mentored by Green in defense and is tied with Wiggins for most blocks in the Golden State Warriors this campaign.
Kevon Looney, meanwhile, has taken his veteran center role well. He has been with the Golden State Warriors for the past six years and has had great chemistry with his teammates. Looney is the second-best option for a pick-and-roll partner for Curry, as he knows his role and is incredible in passing when crowded.
Looney is best known for his offensive-rebounding prowess, tipping the ball in after a miss or grabbing a second-chance possession in key moments.
The Golden State Warriors' bench has been one of the best in the league this season. They have the most combined minutes played and have the ability to keep up the intensity when the starters are off the floor.
That's impressive considering their last season's struggles: Curry and Thompson were both injured and ruled out of the season, while Durant had left the Golden State Warriors, and Green played only 43 games. That gave these backup players more playing time, and now they can be legitimate backups on a championship roster or incredible trade assets.
Meanwhile, Kent Bazemore has been one of the Golden State Warriors' best bench players. He has shown the ability to carry the team's offense and also makes key shots during games.
Bazemore has several years of experience and usually makes the right decisions with the ball. In their home game against the Miami Heat, Bazemore led the Golden State Warriors to victory by scoring clutch buckets and assisting at the right time. He is certainly a valuable backup guard and shouldn't be considered as a trade asset, as he needs to be kept for a potential title-run by the Golden State Warriors next season.
Now, let's take a look at how Eric Paschall, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Damion Lee have been for the Golden State Warriors. These three players have found their respective roles in the rotations and are contributing decent production on the floor.
Damion Lee is the second-best three-point shooter on the Golden State Warriors roster; Eric Pascall is a true bucket-getter, while Toscano-Anderson is valued for his defense.
Pascall has shown that he can score in various ways; he is built strong, so he often bullies his way in the paint. he also has a decent jump shot, occasionally hitting threes and mid-range pull-ups. Lee is the Golden State Warriors' standard catch-and-shoot three-guy off the bench, as the majority of his attempts are from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, Toscano-Anderson is used mainly for defense. He averages 20.6 minutes but scores just under six points per game. All three players are developing at a great pace and could be crucial bench pieces in a playoff run for the Golden State Warriors.
Now we come to the other bench pieces of the Golden State Warriors - Nico Mannion, Brad Wanamaker, Jordan Poole and Mychal Mulder.
Rookie Nico Mannion has a lot of potential for improvement; he is developing as a shooter and playmaker.
Jordan Poole, meanwhile, has played with the Golden State Warriors off the bench before. He is currently playing in the Golden State Warriors' G-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, along with Nico Mannion to get good playing time and average enough minutes to make an impact in the NBA.
Brad Wanamaker and Mychal Mulder haven't been the best pieces of the Golden State Warriors bench, though.
Mulder has averaged the least minutes in the Golden State Warriors roster, but he is known for occasionally hitting threes in the game. Wanamaker hasn't been a great backup guard in terms of facilitating and moving the ball. Many fans have requested that Poole averages Wanamaker's minutes.
Nevertheless, Mulder and Wanamaker form the perfect trade assets if the Golden State Warriors end up in the market ahead of the trade deadline.
#3 Areas of concern for the Golden State Warriors at the offensive and defensive ends
Offensively, the Golden State Warriors have continued to play the same way they've been all these years.
Despite going 19-18 for the season, they are leading the league in assists. Stephen Curry's movement without the ball is so unbelievably lethal that it opens up passing and driving lanes, while the constant threat of Curry launching a deep three keeps defenders engaged.
Curry is the only player in the league who gets double-teamed even without the ball in his hands. A simple screen and movement scares and freezes defenders enough to get other players open.
No defender can ever help off of Stephen Curry due to his constant movement. That gives other players like Oubre Jr. and Wiggins freedom of movement without the threat of another defender coming to crowd the paint. Curry leads the league in miles run on the court, as his extreme conditioning and motor allow him to do that.
Meanwhile, Draymond Green continues to be the best playmaker on the floor for the Golden State Warriors. He is undoubtedly one of the highest-IQ players in the league, and it seems like he almost always makes the right decision with the ball. Green's ability to find the open man and make an astonishing pass out of nowhere is impressive. He often grabs the ball and waits for the other four players to make a move, and the Golden State Warriors know he'll always find his teammates.
Wiggins is showing up as the second option on the team in terms of scoring; he is trusted with the ball and is averaging the best shooting season of his career.
James Wiseman has shown bursts of great scoring. He is capable of making long strides in the paint, something like Giannis Antetokounmpo; his euro-step and spin-moves are becoming his standard methods of getting buckets.
As mentioned earlier, Kelly Oubre Jr. has been considerably inconsistent, and he isn't someone who can be trusted with the ball. However, he has improved significantly in the past month. His athleticism has made him a true hustler and offensive rebounder, while he also makes jump-shots on decent attempts.
The Golden State Warriors seem to rely too much on Curry's shooting ability, though. He touches the ball in almost every possession but averages the least ball-usage amongst stars.
His ability to move off the ball makes him the perfect decoy for Wiggins and Oubre Jr., but that has often hurt the Golden State Warriors down the stretch. Steve Kerr acknowledges that the Golden State Warriors are still figuring out rotations and how to adjust everyone's minutes. Curry's usage needs to increase, and Kerr needs to allow him slightly more isolation opportunities. He is absolutely elite in isolation and can break down practically any defender.
Defensively, the Golden State Warriors are sixth in the league in defensive rating. They aren't the best in defense but have most of the right pieces required in defense.
Oubre Jr. coming in as Thompson's replacement has given them a boost in defense, and Green mentoring other Golden State Warriors players like Wiggins and Wiseman in defensive IQ is a boon for the roster.
The Golden State Warriors could trade for a defensive forward off the bench who can keep the opposition's scoring to a minimum when the starters are off the floor.
The Golden State Warriors, in their present state, aren't a title-contending team, though. They have to figure out several issues in offensive strategies. Once Klay Thompson gets back, the Golden State Warriors could have a real shot at the title.
Also, Read: NBA Trade Rumors: Golden State Warriors open to the idea of trading James Wiseman.
