Golden State Warriors: Can They Win It All?

January 31, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12, left) and power forward David Lee (10) celebrate after a basket during the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Mavericks 100-97. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Golden State Warriors have sky-high expectations after bursting onto the scene last season as the Cinderella story of the NBA.

Behind the sharp shooting of Stephen Curry and gritty play from his supporting cast, the Warriors finished with the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference and gave the San Antonio Spurs a run for their money in the semifinal round.

Golden State has a young, balanced and strong core led by the “Splash Brothers” of Curry and Klay Thompson, who combined to make over 400 shots from behind the arc last season. They have young 22-year-old Harrison Barnes, who averaged over 16 points in the playoffs, and two veteran leaders in Andrew Bogut down low and David Lee at the power forward position.

Their entire starting five is returning, and they are all under 30. One more thing – they added All-Star swingman Andre Iguodala in free agency. Golden State lost Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry, but acquired some proven veterans such as Toney Douglas and Maureisse Speights.

You can say that head coach Mark Jackson has a lot of toys to play with entering his third season as the head coach of the Dubs. He can go big with a lineup featuring Bogut, Jermaine O’Neal and Iguodala or go small with a lineup featuring Curry, Douglas and Barnes. The possibilities are endless, and it is up to Jackson to find what works best in certain scenarios.

Yesterday, I was watching NBA TV’s “Golden State Warriors Team Preview Show.” At the end of the show, an analyst (not to be named), was asked to give an assessment on the best and worst case scenarios for the Warriors in the 2013-2014 season.

He was drastically wrong on both ends of the question. He said that the worst case scenario for Golden State is that they finish with the sixth seed. I guess he was trying to compliment Golden State, but this is WORST CASE scenario. Let me tell you what the worst case scenario is: Curry’s ankles fail him, Bogut can’t stay healthy to save his life, Iguodala doesn’t fit with the team, and the Warriors fall out of the playoffs.

His best case scenario? A No. 3 seed in the West. Are you kidding me? This team, returning its entire starting five and adding Iguodala to the mix, can form a powerhouse in the Western conference.

My best-case scenario? This team can win it all next season. They have the talent and now experience to finish with a high seed in the West, and if the big men down low are healthy and Steph and Klay shoot the 3 ball like they can, there is no team that they wouldn’t have a chance to beat.

I am not saying it will happen, but if all the pieces fall in the right places and everyone stays healthy?

Why not? Go get ’em.