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#3 Stephen Curry to win MVP and Draymond Green DPOY
As mentioned earlier, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green both finished third in the MVP and DPOY race, respectively. But they couldn't win it because the Golden State Warriors were the eighth seed. However, this season the duo could win those awards.
Curry was unreal last season. He surpassed Wilt Chamberlain as the Golden State Warriors' all-time leading scorer, and also passed Guy Rodgers as the franchise's assist leader.
He dropped 96 threes in the calendar month of April, which helped him break the previous record by a whopping 14. Curry put nearly identical numbers from his MVP seasons. But he wasn't favored for the award because the Golden State Warriors were not a top seed, unlike the other MVP candidates.
If the team manages to grab a top-4 seed in the Western Conference and Stephen Curry continues his dominance on the court, it isn't far-fetched to say he could win his third career MVP award.
As for Draymond Green, a similar case can be made that the team was a lower seed compared to Rudy Gobert and Ben Simmons, both of whose teams were the top seed in their respective conferences. Moreover, Green is as hungry for a championship as any player on the Golden State Warriors, so he could go all out next season to get his team to the promised land.
#4 James Wiseman and the Golden State Warriors' rookies could contribute in a major way
![Golden State Warriors introduce Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody [Source: USA Today]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/09/5509e-16306655311311-800.jpg)
A major 'if' in the Golden State Warriors' equation are their rookies, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. Every news report or rumor ahead of the 2021 NBA Draft highlighted that GM Bob Myers and the Warriors want to trade their picks in exchange for a veteran.
The team has a small championship window, as the core trio consisting of Curry, Green and Thompson are all north of 31. The team's decision to draft two inexperienced teenagers on the expense of Stephen Curry's prime wasn't well-received by the fanbase.
The bold prediction here is that the team's young players could show up big and surprise the league with their contributions right away. Kuminga and Moody have both said that they are hungry to learn from the Warriors' future Hall of Famers. So their games could improve at a much faster rate playing alongside the likes of Stephen Curry.
The two rookies showed up huge in the 2021 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, and have wowed the league with their game. Kuminga is arguably the best wing/forward in the draft ,while many consider Moody a steal for the Warriors, who has been labelled as 'NBA-ready' by several analysts.
As for James Wiseman, he is reportedly training with Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett in the offseason, and his game is expected to improve by significant proportions.
#5 Golden State Warriors to win the 2022 NBA championship
The boldest of bold predictions is that the Golden State Warriors could win the 2022 NBA championship.
As presently constructed, they are a championship-calibre team, considering everything goes their way, and no injuries plague them. Curry and Green are still in their primes, and Klay Thompson is working out to get back to his All-Star form.
Just having Green, Thompson and Curry on the floor is enough to scare many NBA teams.
They are certain to make the NBA playoffs next season, and by then all their three stars could fire on all cylinders. Even if the Warriors load-manage Thompson and James Wiseman, the Golden State Warriors should be comfortably getting a top 6 seed in the West. All the Golden State Warriors need to do is grab a decent playoff berth and then turn it up a notch in the postseason.
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