Golden State Warriors: The Biggest Variable for 2013-14 Season

Oct 8, 2013; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Golden State Warriors shooting guard Andre Iguodala (9) is introduced prior to a game against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. The Jazz won 101-78. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

The Golden State Warriors had an incredible 2012-13 NBA season, followed by an electrifying postseason. There’s nothing that’s more fun that watching the birth of a star in Stephen Curry, who had an outstanding postseason performance.

Are these glorious times going to last? The average Warrior fan would claim that it would, of course, but some critics may argue that the Warriors aren’t going to see the same amounts of success as last year. I tend to agree with this claim because the Warriors do not yet have the needed chemistry to make a splash in the regular season.

Andre Iguodala was a solid signing. Other than that, the Warriors didn’t have a lot of offseason success. They signed Marreese Speights and Toney Douglas, sure. But Speights is just another shooter who cannot score consistently on the inside, and Douglas is very streaky. Jermaine O’Neal, the other signing, is getting old. Plain and simple.

Mark Jackson told Warrior TV, “Great offseason. Outstanding job by our ownership.”

Sure that may be the case now, but how about when the offense is completely dead and someone needs to come off the bench and jumpstart it. Is Draymond Green going to be that guy?

The losses of Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry, two of the Warriors’ best bench players, will end up stinging a lot. Last year, Jack averaged 12.9 points per game and 5.9 assists. Those are some big numbers that the Warriors are losing. Landry averaged 10.8 points per game and 6 rebounds. Can Dre’s 13 points, 5.4 assists, and 5.3 rebounds make up for these losses?

Don’t get me wrong, I believe with all my heart that the Warriors will play more than 82 games this season, but is it such an outrageous claim to think that they’re worse than last year?

No, it’s not at all.

Based on past experiences, it’s pretty hard to mesh five stars in a lineup. Stephen Curry, Harrison Barnes, and David Lee are fine playing with each other, okay. But add swigman  Iguodala into the rotation and the big man Bogut, and the Warriors are juggling five elite players who all have something to prove. Chemistry becomes a huge factor in this case.

If they cannot create it, then the Warriors are going to have a tough time watching the Minnesota Timberwolves battle in the first round while they get set to go play some golf.

If they can create it, however, they will be one of the best teams in the NBA. Iguodala is a very generous player. Throw that in with Curry’s stardom, Barnes’s young stardom, Bogut’s defensive determination, and Lee’s solid play, the Warriors have a solid starting unit. As for the bench, Klay Thompson is coming to the rescue with his impregnable defense and 3-point stroke.

Chemistry is what separates the good teams from the bad teams, unless you have LeBron James on your team.

Sure, the Warriors may have had some success in the preseason, but what does it really mean? Right now, they are one of the most feared teams in the NBA, and the Iguodala signing made them look a lot more scarier than they  actually are.

Fortunately for the Warriors, they have the coach, and the have the players. Chemistry isn’t going to be a problem, but it might affect their play a little bit. There is always that possibility of its absence, however, and the Warriors must acknowledge the fact that the rest of the Western Conference, except the Lakers, are just as good as they are.

In an interview, Iguodala said, “I’d say more than (50 wins). I’m going to have to make adjustments, just getting used to the guys.” He acknowledges the fact that he needs to change to benefit the Warriors, as they look to get 50+ wins this season. This is a realistic goal according to him, and he wants to win, no matter what. In the same interview, he said that the Warriors’ depth at the wing spot is advantageous because they can push each other and compete with each other to make themselves better.