After a sixth-placed finish in the Western Conference at the end of last regular season, the Golden State Warriors are one team expected to rise thanks to some veteran offseason additions and the growth of their young players.
The conference is set to be a bloodbath in 2023-24, with at least 10 teams possessing a realistic shot at a top six seed and thus avoiding the dreaded Play-In Tournament.
NBA writers don’t believe the Golden State Warriors will see too sharp a rise after finishing with a 44-38 record in 2022-23.
Where the Warriors sit in the landscape is up for vigorous debate. Yet according to NBA.com’s staff writers, a spot somewhere between fourth and sixth in the conference is the general consensus.
Three of the five writers had Golden State finishing fourth in the West, while Steve Aschburner had the franchise fifth. Shaun Powell was the most pessimistic on the Warriors, listing them sixth behind the Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and both Los Angeles teams.
Powell and John Schuhmann were the only two writers to have the Suns on top, with the other three maintaining confidence in the NBA champion Denver Nuggets.
Golden State have made a strong start to the preseason, defeating the Lakers in their opening two matchups before a 121-115 overtime victory against the Sacramento Kings. Still, Michael C. Wright believes the Warriors will take some time to find their groove.
“Chris Paul looked impressive in his Warriors debut, but it will likely take some time for the team to figure out all the moving parts. It’ll probably be the same in Phoenix with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal,” Wright wrote.
The intrigue surrounding Paul’s fit at the Warriors and likewise Beal at the Suns makes for a tantalizing opening night matchup between the teams on October 24.
