Baron Davis spent three and a half seasons with the Golden State Warriors between 2005 and 2008. He averaged 20.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 8.1 assists and two steals per game during his tenure in the Bay Area. However, that production level failed to help the Warriors challenge in the Western Conference, with Davis only appearing in the postseason once while donning a Warriors uniform.
Nevertheless, the two-time All-Star believes Golden State will enjoy a bounce-back season in their upcoming campaign. Steve Kerr’s team struggled during the 2023-24 season, often dropping games from winning positions and struggling to find a settled rotation.
“When I put my player and coach lens on, we were four games away from being in that fifth spot,” Davis told ClutchPoints as part of an exclusive interview. “This team can be four games better than last year’s team. I think they have more talent, or just as much talent, fresh and good energy for the Warriors and then the young guys will have bigger responsibility.”
Kerr has a deep roster at his disposal. Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton are all fresh faces after joining the franchise over the summer. Nevertheless, the potential growth of Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga will likely dictate how successful Golden State’s upcoming season will be.
The franchise missed out on both Paul George and Lauri Markkanen this summer. As such, the team’s younger talents will have plenty of opportunities to prove themselves as future stars for the Warriors. Kuminga will have additional motivation, as he’s likely to be playing for a new contract, assuming he doesn’t sign an extension on Monday.
Golden State faces a tough challenge. Last season, it was eliminated from the play-in tournament at the hands of the Sacramento Kings. This season, the Warriors will be trying to secure a playoff seed despite competing in a Western Conference that is incredibly deep and talented. Kerr’s ability to lean on his deep rotation of role players will be an essential aspect of any Warriors’ success.
Still, Davis is right. Golden State is a more talented unit this time. And, if things don’t go to plan during the season’s opening months, they have enough trade assets to make a big swing. As such, it’s fair to assume the Warriors will be a threat to qualify for the playoffs. After all, any team that has Steph Curry leading the charge must be taken seriously.
