The Golden State Warriors have come out the gates hot to start the 2021-22 NBA season. They look to be one of the best teams in the league and they are doing it while being a little bit short-handed.
The Warriors have had No. 7 overall pick, Jonathan Kuminga, available for only two games thus far and he has been used sparingly. James Wiseman, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and projected starting center, is still recovering from the knee operation he underwent in April.
The team is also awaiting the return of Klay Thompson. Thompson has not played in an NBA game in over two years, last appearing on the court in Game 6 of the NBA Finals in 2019 against the Toronto Raptors.
He is recovering from a torn ACL and ruptured Achilles, so the Warriors are bringing him along slowly. They have been encouraged by his progress and the videos of him shooting and working out have been impressive as well.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Latest On Warriors’ Klay Thompson Return — Revealed
Given the level they are already playing at despite missing key pieces, there are some people who believe Golden State is a finals contender again. One person, Stephen A. Smith, is willing to take it even further, as he predicts that the Warriors will be in the NBA Championship this season.
Last week, Smith said that he thought the Warriors could win the NBA title. Now, he has made a concrete prediction and has picked them as the eventual winners of the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Latest On Warriors’ Klay Thompson Return — Revealed
It is not a bad pick by Stephen A. Smith, as the Golden State Warriors are playing at a high level and will only get better once guys return from injury. Stephen Curry is playing at an MVP level and the team is getting it done with the most stifling defense in the NBA with a defensive rating of 97.8.
Once they start picking things up offensively, as they are currently 17th in offensive rating, they are going to be that much more difficult to beat.
