Breaking: Golden State Warriors Klay Thompson Has Suffered A Season-Ending Achilles Injury. Can The Golden State Warriors Still Contend Without Their All-Star?

After having a successful draft night in selecting James Wiseman and Nico Mannion, the Golden State Warriors experienced some devastating news finding out that Klay Thompson has once again suffered a catastrophic injury. On Wednesday, November 19, it was reported that Klay Thompson suffered a severe leg injury during a workout while having a fear that it could be related to a critical Achilles injury. With Adrian Wojnarowski confirming that Klay Thompson has indeed injured his Achilles, the question that pertains is, can the Golden State Warriors still contend despite having a severe injury to one of their stars? 

This news is devastating as the NBA community appreciates the level of struggle Klay Thompson has had since the 2019 NBA finals. Suffering an ACL injury is difficult for any athlete to experience as it is one of the more severe injuries any professional athlete can encounter. However, suffering another critical injury is catastrophic, especially when a player is enthusiastic about helping his organization contend for another championship. Although this does hurt the Warriors chances of securing a contention spot in the Western Conference, their recent draftee of James Wiseman has the potential of filling a much more significant role than previously expected. With Stephen Curry being one of the best leaders in the NBA, his enthusiasm and level of competitiveness will drive the rest of the roster to have a playoff mentality. In terms of contending for a championship, the Golden State Warriors are far from accomplishing that but could pursue some trade options in hopes of increasing their chances. 

While James Wiseman would most likely have to play a big part in the Warriors offence, Andrew Wiggins would also have just as big of a responsibility considering that he would most likely be the second-option until Klay Thompson fully heals. The Golden State Warriors most likely had aspirations in trading Wiggins for other assets, but Bob Myers will have no choice but to keep him after this devastating news. If Andrew Wiggins can become a much more efficient scorer while having a less streaky three-point shot, then the Warriors would be in a good place to at least make it as far as the Western Conference Finals! However, Stephen Curry, who is the face of the organization, will have to play the biggest role on the roster as he would have to return to his MVP form. Averaging 30 or more points is a requirement if the Warriors want a high seed in the Western Conference. The NBA is getting more competitive by the season; hence why Golden State would most likely have to heavily rely on Stephen Curry’s production while possibly trading role players and future draft picks to strengthen the rotation. 

The Golden State Warriors have a solid rotation even with the absence of Klay Thompson. While this was devastating news, the Warriors still have a good rotation in competing for a playoff spot, but their finals aspirations are slimmer than before. With the number of large contracts that this organization has absorbed, it will be tough for the Warriors to sign or trade for other rotational players. If the Warriors want to better their chances at making it far in the playoffs, trading for players such as Spencer Dinwiddie, Dennis Schroder, Derrick Rose or Lou Williams should be their priority due to their scoring ability off the bench. If Bob Myers can increase their bench rotation and trade for an efficient scoring sixth man, most NBA teams will have a much more difficult time defeating Golden State.