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Golden State Warriors: What is a realistic best-case scenario for next season?

By Justin Fried

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 07: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts against the Toronto Raptors in the second half during Game Four of the 2019 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 07, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 07: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts against the Toronto Raptors in the second half during Game Four of the 2019 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 07, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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The Golden State Warriors will enter the 2019-20 season with plenty of expectations. Here is a look at a realistic best-case scenario for the team this season.

The Golden State Warriors are under a month away from kicking off their 2019-20 season and they will do so with different expectations than in years prior.

After an offseason full of player turnover and roster upheaval, the Warriors will sport a very different lineup when the season tips off next month.

Gone are mainstays such as Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, and Shaun Livingston. Star shooting guard Klay Thompson is set to miss the majority of the season recovering from a torn ACL. Even role players like Quinn Cook, Jordan Bell, and Jonas Jerebko have since departed.

It will truly be a new-look Warriors lineup when the team takes the floor in the brand new Chase Center for the first time. But at the end of the day, this is still the Golden State Warriors.

And with the Golden State Warriors comes expectations. Championship expectations.

The Warriors have made it to each of the last five NBA Finals and have been victors in three. This is still a roster that hosts the likes of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and the newly-acquired D’Angelo Russell.

It’s hard not to expect big things from this organization — especially once Thompson returns.

That said, expectations should certainly be curbed this season. After all, the Warriors will have to compete in the revamped Western Conference.

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The new-look Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers could dominate the top with others like the Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz, and Denver Nuggets hanging around the 50-win mark as well. Where that leaves a Warriors team diminished in depth and talent is anyone’s guess.

It’s fair to assume that the new iteration of the Warriors could struggle a little early on in the season. With new starters such as Russell, Alfonzo McKinnie, and Willie Cauley-Stein/Kevon Looney, developing chemistry will certainly be a work in progress.

But we’re here to be optimistic.

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In a best-case scenario, what could be the Warriors ceiling this season? If everything goes right, could this be another championship team?

The short answer is, yes, absolutely.

In this scenario, the Warriors manage to develop chemistry between their starters quicker than many would have expected. Curry puts together another excellent season leading the team while the newly-acquired Russell becomes a better fit in the Warriors system than anyone could have imagined.

Head coach Steve Kerr mixes in some pick-and-roll into the Warriors offensive system and Russell develops some solid chemistry with Cauley-Stein as the duo excels in the pick-and-roll game.

Green returns to his 2016-17 form and captures his second Defensive Player of the Year while developing some of the team’s young role players. One of which is Eric Paschall who surprises many and becomes a key bench contributor playing meaningful minutes down the stretch.

Looney continues to develop his game and by the end of the season takes over the full-time starting center role while Cauley-Stein serves as an offensive sparkplug off the bench.

Reserve guards such as Jacob Evans and Alec Burks exceed expectations and help alleviate the absences of Livingston and Cook. Even rookie first-round pick Jordan Poole manages some minutes while also spending time in the G-League.

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The Warriors do enough to hover around 50 wins and remain a solid fourth or fifth seed for the majority of the season while Thompson recovers from his knee injury. And in March, Thompson comes back and is slowly eased into the starting lineup.

By the time the playoffs roll around, the trio of Curry, Russell, and Thompson have managed to develop chemistry while the latter’s defensive prowess is a shot in the arm to the Warriors’ lackluster defensive lineup.

From there, the revamped Warriors with Thompson manage to make it through the postseason on the back of Curry who carries his team to their fourth NBA Championship in six years.

That is what could be considered a best-case scenario.

Is it likely? Not exactly. But that isn’t to say that it’s not a reasonable possibility. From an optimistic point of view, this can still be a championship-caliber team — offseason losses and all.

They may not be the dominant Warriors of old who have been annual championship-favorites, but this is still the same organization that built one of the greatest dynasties in sports history. And that dynasty may not be over just yet.

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After all, the motto “Strength in Numbers” may never have more meaning than this upcoming season.

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