The Golden State Warriors have gone fishin’ while the Minnesota Timberwolves advance to their second consecutive Western Conference Finals. It wasn’t exactly the series matchup many would have hoped for, given Steph Curry‘s injury that knocked him out early on. If the circumstances were different, there’s a good chance the series would be on going, heading for a Game 7. Unfortunately, fans won’t see what Curry could have done or how far the Jimmy Butler trade could have pushed Golden State in this postseason. The trade for Butler was supposed to vault the Warriors forward, and maybe with Curry available, it could have. Instead, they look to next year as the next best opportunity to make another run for it. Draymond Green believes the Warriors’ window hasn’t closed, and puts his trust in the front office to make the necessary offseason changes, moving them back in championship contention.
Draymond Green Expects Warriors to Contend Next Year
With Jimmy Butler in place, Draymond Green believes the Golden State Warriors ‘will be right back at it’ next season
You heard it during the NBA All-Star break—”We are going to win the championship,” Green proclaimed during the NBA All-Star break on TNT’s on-location set. You would have preferred Green to stick with “I think” instead of “We are”, which is how he initially started his bold proclamation. But Green is who he always has been: bold and unafraid to say what he thinks or believes. Unfortunately, what he thought or believed didn’t matter in the end, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter next season.
The trio of Curry, Green, and Butler are all locked up for two more years, and the chances they get broken up are next to never. It’s safe to say that Green and Curry will retire as Warriors. Butler will be there for at least two more years. These factors make the goal of this offseason focused on building around the three. Green believes the Warriors management will do that. After being eliminated from playoff contention, he spoke about looking ahead to next season and what needs to be done over the summer.
“I think we will be right back at it. Sucks to end this way, but we think we got the pieces to make another run at it and do it again. That’s gonna be our mindset going into the summer,” Green said. “We’ll do all that to improve. We got one of the best ownership groups and front offices in the NBA. They’ll do whatever they feel is needed to help the team improve. We as players have gotta get back in the lab and do what we gotta do to get better. We’ll give ourselves a chance.”
The West will only be stronger next year
The Warriors can never be counted out as long as Curry is around. That said, the core of the team is older and aging by the season. On top of that, the West will be just as competitive next season, if not more so than this past one. While the Warriors will be expected to improve their roster, other teams will do the same. The Lakers, Kings, Mavericks, and Rockets, among others, are expected to hit next season improved and stronger. The West will be better by returning injured players, trades, or free agent signings. The Thunder, Nuggets, and Timberwolves aren’t going anywhere. The greatest obstacle could be Giannis Antetokounmpo, should he find himself moving West.
For the Warriors, it’s mainly about finding more scoring, paint depth, and consistent help to surround Curry. If Golden State can significantly address its issues, as Green expects they will, the Warriors shouldn’t be counted out. As for a guaranteed ring, it’s probably best to focus on a better regular season before anything else.
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