by Rohit Shenoy ’28
Each NBA season brings a new level of energy and content every year. But this year in Golden State, the tension is palpable.
With four-time NBA champion and five-time NBA all-star Klay Thompson gone in the offseason to the Dallas Mavericks, the Warriors are set for the new season without a key member of their signature trio.
Even with this tragic loss, the Warriors seem to be much better than last year.
In the offseason, the Warriors acquired Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton from the Philadelphia 76ers, and received Lindy Waters III from a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder. They also received Kyle Anderson from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
And in the preseason, the Warriors were undefeated, with a record of six wins and zero losses, as they were the only team to do so.
Though these new-look Warriors seem better than last year, the Western Conference remains stacked with talent. With players like the reigning MVP Nikola Jokic on the Denver Nuggets and superstar player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Warriors have a long road ahead of them if they want to place high in the west.
But it’s not as though the Warriors haven’t gone against the odds and won before. In the Warriors’ famous 2022 championship run, they claimed the third seed in the Western conference, in the midst of an extremely talented league.
And it seems that the Warriors’ new coaching strategy might be up to the job.
Throughout the past few years, the Warriors have thrived through a strategy known as “Three and D,” in which a team utilizes its shooting ability to get as many three-point shots as possible and then gets back on defense.
This year, it seems the Warriors will be able to use this same strategy to greater effectiveness–namely due to the depth the team has. With accurate shooters like Buddy Hield and Steph Curry, the Warriors have more players they can generate their offense through.
And with players like Brandon Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis, the Warriors are enabled to pass the ball more, creating more space to work with.
This isn’t false optimism either; Josh Ajiwibawa ‘25, the athletics editor for The Bell Online states, “Based on the handful of games that have occurred so far, I believe the team has the potential to compete for the championship this season if Steve Kerr manages the players effectively and the key players like Steph stay healthy. Overall, the roster looks really strong this year, with a deep bench of players who all have the ability to contribute.”
But it’s still important to address that this team hasn’t played together for a full season yet. Historically, teams, such as the Los Angeles Lakers in 2013 and the Brooklyn Nets in 2021, have fallen apart due to a lack of chemistry. However, the squad seems to gel well together thus far.
Ultimately, the Warriors have the potential to win big this season–it’s up to them to adapt accordingly.