Golden State Warriors: Very Bold Predictions for 2013-2014 Season

May 2, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates after a play against the Denver Nuggets during the third quarter of game six of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Nuggets 92-88. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

We’re well into the offseason already. Funny because it seems like yesterday, LeBron James and the Miami Heat were just winning the NBA title. Strange that so much time has already passed by.

The Warriors made a very exciting playoff run in the 2013 NBA Playoffs, only to be taken down by the runners-up in the NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs. Warrior fans weren’t disappointed, rather they were excited at how well their team did considering they weren’t even supposed to make the playoffs.

One can only imagine what the Warriors have in store this next season. With the acquisition of Andre Iguodala, Jermain O’Neal, and Mareesse Speights, the Warriors are looking to make another deep playoff run, and maybe even push their way into the conference finals. Big talk, yes, but after one season of greatness, the Warriors now know what it’s like to be in a high-pressure game.

With that being said, here are a few very bold predictions for the Warriors in the new season, good or bad:

1. Warriors Finish First:

It’s not so crazy. This thought has been tossed around a couple of times, and the Warriors may actually be able to finish first in the standings. If you think about it, the only thing that the Warriors really lacked was experience and ability to close out games. Iguodala will be able to help out with that. The only team that the Warriors were vulnerable to in the 2012-2013 season was the Memphis Grizzlies.

Other than that, they can beat the rest of the teams. The biggest concern for the Grizzlies this season is that they really don’t have a number one scorer, or a great one for that matter. If the Warriors do as well as their paper roster would suggest, they could easily be one of the best teams out there, and will be a force to be reckoned with for many seasons to come.

2. Warriors Miss the Playoffs:

Behind every good scenario, there’s a terrible scenario. This, folks, would be it. The Warriors are a great team, but based on past experiences, they may not make the playoffs. In 2007, they followed up their playoff season with another terrific season, but fell short of making the playoffs. After that, the team broke up and the rebuilding era begin.

If Andrew Bogut can’t stay healthy, for whatever reason, or Stephen Curry’s ankles remember that they’re paper, the Warriors are going to be in some big trouble. Last season, the Warriors’ season was in Curry’s hands, and boy did he deliver. He can’t do that from the bench. He may look fine doing windmills in practice and all, but it’s hard not to wonder.

3. Stephen Curry Reaches New Levels of Stardom:

We’re kind of going to the extremes here, aren’t we? Curry was a phenomenon for the Warriors last season. So what if he wasn’t an All-Star? He scored a season-high 54 points against the New York Knicks to go with two more 40+ point performance. The Warriors owe about 50% of their success to him because he played with passion and heart in the playoffs.

With those incredible performances that really frustrated the Nuggets, Curry really dazzled the whole league and won the hearts of every NBA fans except for Denver and San Antonio. He is one of the best shooters that we’ve seen in a very long time, and he’s going to be taking the Warriors somewhere. I wouldn’t be surprised if he keeps pace with LeBron James or Kobe Bryant when the Warriors play the Heat/Lakers this season.

4. Iguodala Doesn’t Mesh with the Team

This is more of a worst-case scenario, but if you think about it, it really makes sense. Iguodala is not the star of a team. He’s swingman, the guy that knows how to do almost everything. This is the guy that deserves to be the star but just can’t be.

What if he cannot mesh with Harrison Barnes or Klay Thompson. Sure, he and Thompson will be elite defenders together, but god knows how well they’ll do on offense together. What are we to expect?