Andre Iguodala predicts great season for Stephen Curry, Warriors

Andre Iguodala won’t be on the Golden State Warriors roster in the 2023-24 NBA season. After 19 seasons, the veteran forward decided to call it a career despite the Dubs’ willingness to have him back. However, since Stephen Curry is still on the team, Iguodala predicts a great season for the Dubs.

“When you have Steph on your team you always have a chance,” he said about the Warriors’ championship aspirations on First Take. “You can never count him out. It’s him and LeBron… you can’t count them out until it’s over.”

While Iguodala named Curry as the biggest reason why the Warriors are still title contenders, he also pointed out many other factors. In his eyes, Chris Paul‘s addition will make the difference for the Dubs, especially to reduce the turnovers.

The four-time NBA champion also looked excited about Jonathan Kuminga, describing his preseason performance as one of the best in the league. Iguodala also took time to praise Andrew Wiggins, but he mentioned something interesting about Klay Thompson. While many are concerned about his contract situation, Iguodala believes it will push Thompson to bring his A-game.

Warriors enter 2023-24 NBA season with new faces

While the Warriors’ core of Curry, Thompson, and Green remains untouched, this offseason brought many changes within the organization. With Bob Myers stepping away as general manager after 11 years, Mike Dunleavy didn’t wait to shake things up.

The Chris Paul trade

The new GM pulled off a shock by sending Jordan Poole to the Wizards for Chris Paul, who had just been traded to Washington by Phoenix. It was a bold move since Poole was expected to be the Warriors’ face in the future. But it proved the Dubs want to maximize their championship window.

Still, the trade raised many questions. On the one hand, Paul had a rivalry with the Dubs, which is why it sound strange to imagine him playing in the Bay area. On the other hand, many wondered how he would fit next to Curry. Well, Steve Kerr has already given signs of that in the preseason, but CP3 may also come off the bench for the first time in his career to lead the second unit. And if there’s one place where he can finally win a championship, that’s Golden State.

The Warriors also made an important move by re-signing Draymond Green, making sure to keep their core together. However, Dunleavy’s actions during free agency shouldn’t go unnoticed.

With Donte DiVincenzo and other role players walking away in the summer, the new general manager had to rebuild the rotation. That’s where Dario Saric and Cory Joseph come in handy for the Dubs.

Uncertainty around Klay Thompson’s future

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Warriors made no progress in their contract talks with Klay Thompson. Unless they reach an agreement, the Splash Brother could hit unrestricted free agency in 2024.

Thompson is not getting any younger – he’ll be 34 in February – and his injury history could make the Warriors hesitate meet the player’s demands. Thompson missed two entire seasons with a torn ACL and an achilles injury, so he’ll probably have to earn a lucrative extension throughout the season.

Last year, Curry was one of the few bright spots in a Warriors’ team that lacked consistency in the regular season. They still made the Conference Finals, but couldn’t stop a Lakers team that got swept by the Nuggets in the following round. Will they go further this time? Only time will tell us.