The Golden State Warriors had one of the most triumphant summers in franchise history. While the team has won championships before, the 2022 title meant a lot to the players as it showed that the Warriors’ dynasty had never ended, but had been interrupted for 2 seasons as the team rebuilt from the departure of Kevin Durant and injuries to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
The Warriors haven’t looked good to start the 2022-23 season, with many doubting their chances of repeating as NBA Champions in 2023. A Western Conference Executive has told Fox Sports that they feel like the Warriors got lucky during the 2022 playoffs, as all 3 Western Conference teams they beat had injured players.
“It lined up perfectly for them last year,” a Western Conference executive said of the Warriors. “When everybody was losing players to injury, they were getting healthy.”
Their first-round matchup against the Denver Nuggets saw Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. on the injury list. The Grizzlies faced them in the second round and lost All-Star point guard Ja Morant halfway through the six-game second-round series. In the Conference Finals, starting shooting guard for the Dallas Mavericks, Tim Hardaway Jr. was injured.
Can The Warriors Come Out On Top Once Again?
A lot of the concerns about injury are not fair. Outside the Nuggets, injuries shouldn’t be such a large talking point. Morant played most of the series and the Warriors’ were favorites to qualify even with Morant on the court. Tim Hardaway Jr. of the Dallas Mavericks is not impactful enough to change the results from a series that the Warriors won in 5 games.
There are valid concerns about the Warriors’ bench as they chose to let veterans go to build up their young talent for the role. While the kids don’t seem ready yet, Steve Kerr will whip them into shape as the season progresses. The Warriors are looking to come after the title and will be determined to ensure that teams like the LA Clippers don’t stand in their way.
