(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
As the new year passed, we took a glance at what we know about our Dubs in a Golden State Warriors Review. Here’s what we don’t know.
But, there are just as many unanswered questions about this team as there are answers.
The Warriors on any given day and during any given quarter this season have looked everything from a champion contender to a team headed for the lottery.
Satisfaction, achievement, frustration and potential have all served so far as the main ingredients for an initial perplexing first two months of the Warriors 2013-14 campaign.
Can the team eliminate the factors that are holding this team back from becoming one of the elite powers of the league?
Let’s examine that.
WHAT WE DON’T KNOW
1. Can the Warriors stay healthy?
Unfortunately, the Warriors have proven already that they’re just not deep enough to handle any significant injuries to the starters or Harrison Barnes off the bench.
A depleted Dubs squad is not as good as the upper echelon of the league.
The team has already witnessed Stephen Curry go down, Andre Iguodala go down and Andrew Bogut look a bit hobbled at times.
This doesn’t even include the reserves similar shuffles to the IR including Festus Ezeli, Jermaine O’Neal and Toney Douglas.
Luckily, these infirmary trips have been shorter in nature and not season ending (yet).
But, again we’re only two months into a long, long season.
Is this injury bug a microcosm for what’s to transpire all year or just an unlucky blip to the end of 2013?
The Warriors can ill-afford the season to be a constant turnstile to the hospital for its core players if they’re to repeat or improve on last season’s playoff run.
2. Will the bench improve?
It’s time to quit harping about how much better the bench would be if Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry were still occupying it. It’s not happening, so why discuss it?
Truthfully, we’ve never had a real chance to see how this year’s Warriors bench can produce because of the injuries mentioned above.
With Barnes back to being the team’s all-important productive Sixth Man and Ezeli set to return in late winter, the bench should at least see a burst of energy it was sorely lacking with it’s initial patchwork of back-ups.
If Draymond Green can keep producing, and Marreese Speights and Toney Douglas be more consistent, then the team will be much more dynamic and explosive come playoff time.
This remains to be seen.
Until so, we’ll continue to hear more lamenting about Jack and Landry, as well as a very tired Warriors team down the stretch.
3. How far can the Warriors go?
It’s the million dollar question with the possibilities amounting to roughly the same number.
At full strength, this year’s Warriors squad is just as strong or better than last year’s team that gave the eventual NBA Finals runners-up San Antonio Spurs their only Western Conference playoff losses before succumbing in six games.
However, the competition has improved, too. The Spurs are just as strong as last year. So are the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers.
The Houston Rockets, Portland Trailblazers and Phoenix Suns are also vastly improved and in the thick of things.
Simply being healthy and having a productive bench may not be enough to get past the second round.
We’ve yet to see this year’s Warriors running on all cylinders, so we just don’t know how far this team can go.
It may be a fun ride. It may be a bumpy ride.
Much like the act of being a Warriors fan, be prepared for anything.
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