NBA: Odds Stacked Heavily On Warriors Next Season, Curry Ready

The past weeks have seen a lot of wild deals get done and teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, and Los Angeles Clippers have undoubtedly gotten super strong. Curiously, the Golden State Warriors were hardly aggressive. In fact, they even lost some key players. Aside from Kevin Durant, gone are DeMarcus Cousins, Andre Iguodala, and Shaun Livingston. Further compounding their woes is that Klay Thompson is expected to be out as he recovers from injury.

Given those facts, there is no question that the Dubs are headed into the 2019-20 NBA season with their backs against the wall. They still do have Stephen Curry in the fold, now he oldest player on the team following the exit of Iguodala and Livingston. And like a mature veteran, the 7th overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft is fully aware that a lot rests on his shoulders this time around. And like the true warrior he is, Curry opts to look at it in a different way. In fact, he says he is excited for the coming season in an interview with ESPN.

"I'm excited, to be honest with you. Five straight years in the Finals and we've accomplished a lot, and three championships. There's a lot to be proud of. But everybody wants a new challenge in terms of how do you get back to that level."

As far as how far the Warriors will go this coming NBA season, there are some who believe that it will be a struggle for the Dubs. In fact, some claim that the Warriors may even have trouble making the playoffs, given that a lot of teams in the Western Conference have gotten stronger. One of those who believe it will be a tough grind for the Dubs is retired NBA star, Charles Barkley.

In an exclusive interview with the NBC Sports Bay Area, Barkley believes that Curry alone will not be enough for the three-time champions. Not having Thompson around to help makes it doubly harder for the Warriors. And as far as Russell picking up the slack, the Round Mound says that he is unsure how the second overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft will fit into the system of head coach Steve Kerr.

"I'm not even sure how D'Angelo's gonna fit into that system, to be honest with you," Barkley said. "But Steph is gonna do his thing. And then it depends on what position they're in once Klay comes back.”