Jordan Poole’s Continued Emergence
His trip to the G League Bubble from Feb. to March 2021 did him well. Poole came back from his time with the Santa Cruz Warriors with more confidence, more minutes to his name and more prolific performances.

In 36 games seemingly in the role of Stephen Curry’s primary backup at the point guard position, Poole poured in more than 20 points nine times along with 27 double-digit scoring showings.

From what would be his 73rd career game to his 108th career regular season game in Golden State’s May 16 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, Poole averaged 14.7 points and 2.4 assists per game, shooting 43.3% from the field and 35.4% from distance.

This marked a rapid ascension from Poole’s rookie season, when almost nothing seemed to go right for the former Michigan guard or the Warriors. In 57 games in the 2019-20 season, Poole – whose shooting from beyond the arc was identified as one of his strengths before he was taken 28th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft – hit just 27.9% of his 4.6 triples attempted per game and ended converting only one-third of his shots from the field.

Luckily, that all seemed to change when Poole took the floor again for Golden State in a March 4 game in Phoenix. His numbers improved, further backing up the confidence he showed on the floor every time he laced up his shoes. Now, Poole appears poised to play behind Curry, and the Warriors are counting on some Poole Parties to energize the team off the bench.

Andre Iguodala’s Veteran Presence in his Return to the Bay

Another player for Steve Kerr’s bench rotation could mean a lot to the team’s return to championship contention, and luckily for Golden State, Iguodala has shown before what he can mean to a Finals-caliber Warriors team.

Following a two-season hiatus with the Miami Heat, Iguodala seemingly listened to Bob Fitzgerald’s advice in early August 2021 and signed with Golden State in free agency for the veteran minimum. And while he has never been a double-digit scorer since coming to the Warriors from the Denver Nuggets following the 2012-13 season, his presence on defense, as a ball-handler, and as a leader has been incalculable.

Iguodala will not need to be on a Max Kellerman Martian death ray fate-of-the-universe level this season to make his return to Golden State a success, even though it would not hurt. What the Warriors are counting on is his ability to make their investment in the future as a team all the more worth it.

Speculation surrounded potential trading of Golden State’s lottery picks, but it instead decided to select wing Jonathan Kuminga and shooting guard Moses Moody with the No. 7 and No. 14 picks, respectively. Both play positions the 17-year NBA veteran Iguodala has experience with, and will need Andre’s mentorship to help them take the extra step and boost the Warriors in their rookie campaigns.

At the end of the season, looking at Iguodala’s counting stats might be how fans and pundits analyze his return to the Bay, and those should certainly be considered. However, his impact on Kuminga, Moody and even James Wiseman, as well as his ability to facilitate and defend with Golden State’s second unit should mark whether Year 18 for Iguodala is a success.

Klay Thompson Returning to his Former Self

This is the big one.

When Thompson returns to the floor this season, whenever that may be, if his abilities resemble the Klay of old, the Warriors are in a very good spot.

This isn’t just about his shooting, which Thompson has already shown flashes of retaining on his Instagram in posting his workouts. Golden State would certainly need to see some semblance of the five-time All-Star’s prolific shooting to seriously make a run at an NBA title, and that can cautiously be expected given that he has not once dipped below 40% shooting from distance in a season in his career.

After an ACL tear and a ruptured Achilles tendon, what the Warriors could really use and count on is his defensive ability from the starting shooting guard spot. Somehow, Thompson only has one All-Defensive team to his name over his outstanding career, but Golden State knows how significant his role as a defender has been and could continue to be if all goes right for the eccentric former Washington State guard.

Thompson’s ability to lock down the opposing team’s point guard, whether it be Damian Lillard or Kyrie Irving, has allowed Curry over the years to focus his energy on the offensive end while maximizing defensive matchups for the team. Additionally, with Curry’s improved defense last season, a starting lineup with Curry, a healthy Thompson, an emergent defender in Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney could not only be one of the league’s best defensive five-man groups, but could also spell games into May and early June.

Warriors fans are just happy to see Thompson return, likely along with some of his patented shooting pyrotechnics. But if Klay were to bring his shooting and defending back with him to the floor, this team could be special.