With Klay Thompson's departure, the 6-time NBA champions are no longer considered favorites to make the playoffs. However, Draymond Green believes otherwise.
Many believed the Golden State Warriors dynasty was over after they failed to qualify for the Playoffs last season. With the departure of Klay Thompson, one of the cores of the Golden State team, this offseason, the 6-time NBA champions are not being deemed favorites for even the playoffs.
However, Draymond Green claims he and Stephen Curry “aren’t done yet”.
In an interview with The Athletic, Green expressed confidence in the team for the upcoming season and suggested they could still challenge for the title.
Green, who was part of the Warriors’ golden era which saw them winning 4 championships between 2015 and 2022, believes he and Green still have the hunger to lead the team to another championship.
“I know I ain’t done. I know [Steph Curry] ain’t done. So it ain’t like, ‘All right, I feel like I’m at the end. I’m cashing it in.’ Nah. We can do that s–t again. I know we can do it again. I’m not a part of the consortium that don’t think we can get it done.
However, the 34-year-old forward admitted that Warriors are not the same team that ran terror for 8 years.
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“But in doing it again, you’ve got to acknowledge that it’s not going to look like it did before. I’d struggle if we were just cashing it in. That ain’t for me. But I don’t feel like anyone around here is doing that. We’re actively trying to put the pieces together to build.”
While Draymond Green believes the Warriors have assembled a title-challenging team, they still look heavily dependent on Curry. There were rumors about bringing Paul George and Lauri Markkanen into the team. However, nothing materialized.
The Warriors’ front office added some experience in the form of veterans Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson, and De’Anthony Melton, to fill the void left by Thompson. However, whether these new additions can replicate the chemistry and impact that Thompson brought to the team remains a big question mark.
Youngster Jonathan Kuminga played a significant role with the Warriors last season, but with Thompson’s departure, he will become more central to Golden State’s success in 2024-25.
Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
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