Last week, the Golden State Warriors won their fourth NBA championship in eight years, making them a true dynasty.
They’re also showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.
Yes, Stephen Curry is 34 and Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are 32, but Bob Myers and the rest of their front office have done an incredible job of replenishing their supporting cast over the last few years with young and productive players.
Because of that, the Warriors could very well win another championship in the near future and possibly more than that.
In fact, at this point, they’re the favorites to win next year’s world title, and they deserve to be the favorites.
Already thinking about next season 🙏
An early look at the 2023 NBA Championship odds: pic.twitter.com/6CBn2ebXKz
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) June 17, 2022
The Warriors Have An Enviable Mix Of Youth And Experienced Vets
Legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson, who coached Warriors head coach Steve Kerr during his playing career, once said that you win with men, and Golden State certainly has grown men in Curry, Thompson and Green.
But most of the team’s other key rotation players are young and still getting better.
The best of that group is Andrew Wiggins, who made his first All-Star team this year and was the team’s second-best player during the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.
Andrew Wiggins NBA Finals stats for the Golden State Warriors:
18.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 1.8 TOV, 44.6/29.7/69.2 shooting splits. He was a +4.8 on averaged. All of this while guarding the best player on the other team. I present to you, Champion Andrew Wiggins pic.twitter.com/9CJDPewjlQ— Bball Insight (@Bball1nsight) June 17, 2022
He also did an amazing job defensively on Jayson Tatum throughout the championship series.
Jayson Tatum vs defenders in the playoffs
vs Jimmy Butler – 10/19 (52.6%)
vs Kevin Durant – 9/19 (47.9%)
vs Giannis Antetokounmpo – 12/35 (34.3%)
vs Andrew Wiggins – 14/48 (29%) pic.twitter.com/L0lJjWZWdf— NBA Muse (@NBAMuse24) June 15, 2022
When Wiggins first came to Golden State a couple of years ago, he was regarded as a low-efficiency chucker who was soft and didn’t play defense.
He deserves his flowers for remaking himself into a Warriors-type player, and at age 27, he is just entering his prime.
Guard Jordan Poole has emerged fast over the past three seasons, and this year, he put up 18.5 points per game.
His efficiency increased when it mattered most, as he increased his shooting percentage from 44.8 in the regular season to 50.8 in the playoffs and his 3-point shooting accuracy from 36.4 percent to 39.1 percent.
Guard Gary Payton II has given the Warriors some scoring and 3-point shooting off the bench, and he seems to have springs in his legs.
Excuse me, but that dunk by @Garydwayne was simply monstrous! #GlobeNBA pic.twitter.com/TPNv3VHHat
— Globe Telecom (@enjoyGLOBE) June 17, 2022
Then there are the three lottery picks the Warriors have had the last two years, which have turned into James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody.
Wiseman showed promise last year as a rookie, and although he didn’t play this year due to injury, he could give the Warriors the inside presence they lack.
Kuminga and Moody barely played this season, but if they emerge as good players, the Warriors’ championship window could be longer than some may expect right now.
Who Could Beat Them?
As of now, there is only one team that could realistically defeat Golden State in a best-of-seven – the Milwaukee Bucks, last year’s world champs.
The Bucks do need to fortify their bench a bit, but they would likely give the Warriors a real run for their money in a potential Finals matchup next summer.
But no one else in the NBA deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the Warriors right now.
The Celtics are in need of reinforcements, the Brooklyn Nets are a mess, and the Memphis Grizzlies are too green.
Things could change in the next few weeks – the Los Angeles Lakers could make a blockbuster trade for someone like Kyrie Irving, as could a few other teams – but the Warriors will still be the class of pro basketball when next season starts.
NEXT: Draymond Green Refuses To Stop Trolling His Rivals