As part of a new series of articles produced exclusively for Sky Sports by NBA superfans from across the UK, we look at the state of play for every franchise with preseason set to get underway at the end of this month
Tuesday 18 October 2022 08:13, UK
Warriors superfan Mark Cadman assesses the 2021-22 season for his team, and then casts an eye ahead to the 2022-23 campaign for Golden State.
I first started watching basketball when I was around five years old. I lived in Germany from 1996 to 1998, and Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were ubiquitous. Basketball was a popular sport there, and I have lots of fond memories of playing HORSE and two-v-two with my brothers in the garden. Much like the 90s NBA, it was always very physical. Free throws were not an option.
Ever since then, I always had a soft spot for basketball (along with many other sports), but I really started to follow the sport religiously when I went to university and had a sleep pattern which aligned with the late-night tip-offs. Around this time, my dad moved to San Francisco for work, so naturally I decided to follow the Golden State Warriors. At the time, they were one of the worst-run franchises in the NBA. That all started to change when Steph Curry began to blossom into a superstar, and the team went on to draft Klay Thompson and Draymond Green in successive years in 2011 and 2012.
My favourite memory of following the team is being at Oracle Arena in November 2015, when the Warriors beat the Lakers to extend their winning streak to 16-0 to start the season (breaking an NBA record in the process). Seeing Kobe Bryant play during his final season in the league was an added bonus.
You can find me on Twitter at @GSWarriors_UK where I talk about all things Warriors-related 24-7!
Stephen Curry. To put it simply, he completely changed the way the game is played. You can't help but be mesmerised when he is on the court and begins knocking down impossible shots from all distances and angles. He plays the game with such joy, and always elevates his teammates. You will be hard-pressed to find another superstar of his calibre who is so happy to share the limelight with his teammates. It's hard to imagine now as he is such a huge star, but when Steph entered the league there were doubts about whether he could cut it in the NBA. I urge every basketball fan to read 'Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry' by Marcus Thompson II. It is an illuminating read.
Honourable mentions must go to Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala and Kevon Looney. It's so refreshing to see a group of players stick together and win multiple championships together in this player empowerment era, where it seems like every few months another superstar is forcing a trade to a rival team.
It completely surpassed my wildest expectations. I expected we would be better than 2020-2021, but with Klay Thompson returning from two career-altering injuries, I thought it would be a year too soon to compete at the highest level.
As for the star players, It feels unfair to single out individuals. Part of what makes this team so enjoyable to root for is that they play a collective, team-first brand of basketball. However, it's worth mentioning Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole. Both players were written off as busts as recently as the beginning of last season. Their transformation and development this year played a crucial role in winning the championship. Wiggins deservedly got an All-Star nod and was easily the second-best player for us (behind Steph) during the entirety of the postseason run.
The biggest question mark coming into this offseason is depth at the center position. Kevon Looney was an ironman last season, playing in all 104 available games in the regular season and playoffs combined, but it left the Warriors very vulnerable against talented bigs with James Wiseman out for the entire season, meaning we relied heavily on small ball lineups. The front office opted against drafting a center and are putting a lot of faith in Wiseman to make a full return from his meniscus surgery. This feels like a gamble with his lack of NBA and college game experience, but he is an undeniable talent.
Another area of focus is to replace a large chunk of the championship core that have left for pastures new. Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damion Lee, Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr and Nemanja Bjelica have all departed. That leaves a huge hole in the roster. The front office is continuing to put a lot of faith in youth, with opportunities for Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody to kick on from last year and play an even bigger role.
I must admit, I am not a huge follower of college hoops, and knew very little of Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Ryan Rollins coming into the draft. Neither of them got a chance to play during NBA Summer League, so I still don't have much of an opinion on them, other than hearing lots of positive talk about them from people in and around the Warriors camp.
As Steve Kerr proved with Kuminga and Moody last year, he is not afraid to give youth a chance, and with the departures of so many key contributors from last season, there will be opportunities for them to get some valuable playing time.
The acquisition of JaMychal Green is a savvy one, offering more small-ball versatility who can also shoot from distance. His 3-point percentage for his career is 36 per cent, so although he isn't as deadly as Otto Porter Jr from that range, he should slot in nicely as a replacement. Donte DiVincenzo is another nice pick up. He isn't as good a defender as Gary Payton II but he does offer more on the offensive end.
The aim must be to defend the title. It is going to be an incredibly tough task. The LA Clippers and the Denver Nuggets will be much stronger this year, so winning the Western Conference will be no walk in the park. However, if Steph, Klay and Draymond remain healthy, I wouldn't bet against ring number five.
To put it simply, you'll be watching the best team in the NBA. Beautiful basketball, lots of ball movement which looks like poetry in motion when in full flow. It is worth watching for The Splash Bros alone, as they can break various NBA records on any given night!
