The Golden State Warriors are back to where they always wanted to be. They've been one of the best teams in the Western Conference since the beginning of the season and their playoff drought is about to come to an end.
But even good things could be great and the Dubs aren't the exception to that rule, which is why they're still looking forward to bringing in a big reinforcement in time for the postseason.
James Wiseman Will Join The Warriors' Road Trip
James Wiseman is finally getting closer to making his season debut after missing half of his rookie year with a knee injury. The former second-overall pick will join the Warriors in the four-game road trip:
"James Wiseman will join the Warriors on this upcoming four-game road trip, doing scrimmages/work with team," tweeted Anthony Slater of The Athletic. "That would rule him out of the four Santa Cruz games this week. Steve Kerr continues to maintain the "day-to-day" approach with Wiseman's rehab, no target return."Draymond Green Reveals Potential Return Date
Draymond Green, who's been out for a couple of months now, is also nearing a return, although he didn't want to set a date for his comeback on stone:
“I’m trying to stick to as fast as I can possibly get back,” Green told ESPN. “From where I am, you feel like it’s three weeks or so, but it could be five weeks or so. … It’s no set thing. In a week and a half, it could be like my conditioning is at a level, my strength is at a level, my explosiveness is at a level where you can go back out there.”Green Is Making Great Progress, Says Kerr
At least, Green has been cleared to put in more work and has looked physically great, per coach Steve Kerr:
“A lot of drill work and it's great just to have his energy back in the gym. He looked great physically," Kerr told the media. "He's excited to be back. So that's a very positive step for him, and we'll go from here.”Dubs To Ramp Up Klay Thompson's Minutes
Moreover, it seems like Steve Kerr is already drawing up his playoff rotation. And given how well Klay Thompson has responded to the bigger workload, it seems like he'll be ready to really ramp things up come the postseason:
“Thirty-four [minutes] is what we kinda map out for Klay and Steph [Curry], 34 to 36,” Kerr said, per ClutchPoints. “Steph has gone over that quite a bit this year just out of necessity, When the playoffs come, 34 to 36 becomes 36 to 39. We’re still six, seven weeks away from the playoffs. As Klay continues to improve and ramp up the minutes, I think that’s where we’re heading. He’s gonna be fully capable of playing a 38-minute playoff game without any problem.”The Warriors Need To Get Healthy
These are all great news for the Dubs. Their defense has taken a massive downfall without Green and it showed again with a massive collapse vs. the Dallas Mavericks.
The Warriors' core is tailor-made for the postseason and the team has championship DNA, so it's not like they're too worried about games in February. But they've been far from the elite defensive squad they were at the beginning of the season.
]]>The Inquisitr
