At the very least, the Warriors have the pieces this year

The Golden State Warriors’ quest to redeem themselves officially begins with a home opener against the Phoenix Suns, who now have exactly one player still on the roster from their Finals appearance that was just 27 months ago. It’s a tough matchup for a squad that remains a work in progress, but we shouldn’t pencil in the Suns as the presumptive biggest threat to the Warriors. In the West, there are always multiple options to consider:

— The defending champion Denver Nuggets have a claim.

— The Los Angeles Lakers, who bullied the diminutive Warriors before bouncing them in the conference semifinals, hold a psychological edge.

— Likewise, the Sacramento Kings are eager to avenge their loss to the Warriors. 

But none of these teams, nor the cursed Los Angeles Clippers or the rowdy Memphis Grizzlies or Victor Wembanyama’s outstretched arms in San Antonio, are likely to be the proximate cause for another disappointing season.

No, the biggest danger to Golden State’s season might just be themselves.

Now, hear me out. I’m not claiming these Warriors are the best team in the NBA. I’m certainly not claiming that all they have to do is show up and keep the injuries to a minimum and that will amount to a Sherman’s March to the Finals, or even that none of the aforementioned teams can beat them in a seven-game series. They can, of course, and one lucky team may do just that. But luck would be involved, because the Warriors, in Year 15 of the Steph Curry Experience, miraculously, still have a healthy chance to win an absurd fifth title in the Curry/Klay Thompson/Draymond Green era. To do that, they must stay out of their own way, avoid self-inflicted wounds and learn from their recent misfires and mistakes. The early returns are positive, but nothing really starts until the season officially begins.

This season, the Warriors must also avoid the conclusion of assuming past victories indicate future successes. Confidence is fine, delusion is not. To take seriously the flaws and imperfections in their approach and deal with them ruthlessly, not just assume everything will work out because it’s worked out before. Through all the struggles of last season — the road woes, the late-game meltdowns, the confused rotations — their loudest voices never appeared to question their ability to flip the switch in the postseason. They deserved the benefit of the doubt, but it also struck many observers as a tone-deaf attempt at actualization. The switch was not flipped. They barely got past the Kings, post-season neophytes, and had no answer for the Lakers. This team has much to publicly rectify, and luckily, has no shortage of personalities who make things like failure personal. We already know Green and Chris Paul are essentially powered by spite, but now the cool and collected Steve Kerr has his own score to settle. He should be energized to remove the damage to his coaching reputation after a fourth place finish in the FIBA World Cup. (Besides, another championship would only further make the author of this article into a pariah.)

To avoid the back-against-the-wall mentality of last season’s playoff push, it’s imperative that, to borrow Kerr’s favorite phrase, the Warriors “chase wins” like it’s 2016 — particularly on the road, where they struggled so mightily last year. You’d expect the infusion of wily veterans — Paul, Dario Saric, Cory Joseph — to add a degree of psychological fortitude to games away from Chase Center. It’s critical they prove who they are on the road, quickly and decisively.

They also need to pay Klay Thompson. He’s too important culturally and — even in a depleted state — on the floor next to Curry to take this situation lightly. If Joe Lacob is telling you to “chill out” about something, it’s wise to do a bit of the opposite. Pay Klay or risk the wrath of a Bay Area who won’t easily forgive a front office that created the dark timeline in which we’re forced to watch Thompson drain threes in a Lakers jersey.

Kerr must finally embrace the youth — for real this time. Yes, Kerr is already praising the wisdom of his rookies (Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis), and both got extended run in the preseason, but anyone who has watched Kerr go to Anderson Varejao, Brad Wannamaker or Lamb over youngsters has reason to be suspicious. Today’s youth movement feels different than the “Two Timelines” youth movement. These guys are not the busted saviors in waiting like James Wiseman. They should be treated as contributors who can plug a defensive hole here or there or produce some easy buckets. It is imperative Kerr learns to trust people born after 9/11.

In particular, this is the Year of Jonathan Kuminga. Any effort to suppress his potential explosion in his third year must be denounced immediately. Kuminga can’t have his minutes jerked around, not after his excellent preseason, where it looked like the game is finally slowing down for him. Kuminga has the potential to blossom into Golden State’s Manu Ginobili — not so much the crafty, cerebral trickster, but a second-unit agent of chaos meant to confuse defenses designed to stop Steph Curry. With Kuminga, the Warriors bring a battering ram to a knife fight.

Happily, there has already been plenty of good work done to purge the vibes of last year. The player’s only mini-camp was organized to integrate new players and counter chemistry concerns for an overhauled roster. The guys are talking a big, confident game already, setting their sights on winning the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament. And though the defense thus far has been rickety and confused (they should be better than this, even without Draymond Green), Golden State seemed to take the pre-season seriously, notching a 4-1 record that included a comeback against the feisty Kings capped off by a clutch Curry game-winner. It was a small thing, but playing to win in the preseason was a healthy indication the team is seeking to set the right tone for a bounce-back season and not just going through the motions.

This is not a perfect team. They have their issues: lack of size; an aging roster; the potential turmoil of starting/closing lineup drama. They shouldn’t be considered a title favorite or even in that conversation until they prove it on the court. But there is a distinct and pervasive feeling that this year they at least have the pieces, the pieces they didn’t have last season, to make a realistic push for a fifth title. Whether Kerr utilizes those pieces correctly, or the pieces themselves are content with their playing time/roles, well, all that remains to be seen.

Rarely has a Warriors team entered a season with such a wide range of outcomes possible. They could be a regular season powerhouse sniffing 60 wins … or they could get bounced in the play-in by the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Where they end up will largely be determined by how well the Warriors manage to stay out of their own way.