Since news broke that Klay Thompson ruptured his Achilles, the Warriors' odds of being one of the top teams in the Western Conference have plummeted.
The additions of Kelly Oubre, James Wiseman, Kent Bazemore and Brad Wanamaker have helped the Warriors potentially stay afloat with talent, but expectations still are lower than before.
However, Kevin O'Connor from The Ringer has not written off the Warriors. In fact, far from it.
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SIGN UP HERE "I still think a top-four seed is not out of the question," O'Connor said on the latest episode of the "Dubs Talk" podcast, "because I think Steph is that special."
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To O'Connor, a superstar like Steph just is too good to write off the Warriors as a threat in the West, and he would like the team to use Curry more than they ever have before.
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"I'd love to see Steph shoot 14 or 15 three pointers a game," O'Connor explained. "That might not be realistic, but I don't think it is impossible. I think it is something they should strive to do, to get him the most three point attempts ever, for the G.O.A.T shooter. Feed him the ball and lean on him as much as you can, within the realm and philosophy of what your offense is, with distributing the ball, with passing the ball and emphasizing sharing. You don't want to be the Rockets, but you should get him the ball as much as you can."
"I think Steph is that special," O'Connor continued. "And I think at least nationally, he's been so out of sight, out of mind, that people forget what level of a player that he is, and how so much of that can be stretched out into more. You can get more from him than he's already shown, which is crazy to say about a two-time MVP, but there is more in his game, if provided the opportunity, if the Warriors and Steve Kerr can tap into that."
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If Steph can play at an elite level, and Draymond Green can play his best, O'Connor thinks the Warriors might surprise some people.
"If Draymond is Draymond, the guy we saw in that past, an elite defender, All-NBA defense, they are going to be in contention for a top-four seed, and maybe even the second seed," O'Connor claimed.
"You look at the competition for that spot, Denver (Nuggets), Portland (Trail Blazers), Dallas (Mavericks), (Los Angeles) Clippers- I don't feel that, if we are talking about that level of Steph and Draymond, that Golden State is that far off. Realistically I'd have them at the five or six seed."
At the end of the day, O'Connor thinks he probably will take a less bold final prediction for the Warriors' placement in the Western Conference, but he is not afraid to say that the Dubs easily could surpass expectations.
"I'll probably have them at five or six in the West realistically, but with the upside to be a two-seed, three-seed even, right behind the Lakers, with the possibility of always being an upset threat in the playoffs."