Top Team Needs for the Golden State Warriors Ahead of the 2021 NBA Season

Just take everything you learned about the Golden State Warriors in 2020 and throw it right out the window. Well, except for the fact that Draymond Green is extremely overrated – but that’s a story saved for a different day.

With the looming return of the Splash Brothers – combined with being armed with the 2^nd pick in the 2020 NBA draft – it might not take long for GWS to return to supremacy.

Let’s take a peek at the Golden State Warriors biggest needs heading into 2021.

The writing is on the wall in Golden State – Steve Kerr needs a legit big man to plug into a lineup that’s littered with superstars are the perimeter.

This is where the 2^nd pick in the 2020 NBA Draft comes in handy. With a red carpet paved toward landing James Wiseman, GM Bob Myers should have no qualms about who to select.

"Wiseman does not want to come to Minnesota because Karl Towns is there. Wiseman doesn’t even want to do anything with the Wolves."

– Brian Windhorst on James Wiseman
(h/t @TopBallCoverage ) pic.twitter.com/wkgLQjzKbP

— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) November 1, 2020

No more DeMarcus Cousins projects, don’t fret that you can’t spend up for one of the coveted free agents.

Draft James Wiseman and don’t look back.

Even most NBA enthusiasts haven’t heard of the likes of Damion Lee and Juan Toscano-Anderson. Are you in tune with guys Ky Bowman and Jordan Poole? The Warriors bench is sparse on talent and lacks players capable of creating their own shots.

Pursuing a combo guard like Kris Dunn, for example, would be fairly cost-effective and perhaps solve this shortcoming. Other free-agents that would be a good fit on Steve Kerr’s second-unit include:

Even if things work out and the Warriors are able to land James Wiseman, they still need more “oomph” in the post. Keep in mind, NBA Insider Zach Lowe reported that Golden State was shopping the 2^nd pick in hopes of swapping it for a perennial All-Star.

GSW didn’t do a good job of blocking shots in 2019-20, and their rebounding differential (-3.6) ranked 28^th in the NBA.

Montrezl Harrell comes to mind as a perfect fit for this club, but given how much money is tied up in Andrew Wiggins’ contract, acquiring Harrell seems unlikely. Cheaper options like Aron Baynes or Chris Boucher will be much more attainable.

In any case, adding a couple of dependable shot-blockers in the post might be the only thing standing in the way between the Warriors and a title. 

It’s difficult to pinpoint the Golden State Warriors biggest needs heading into 2021 considering this roster was a shell of itself this past year.

One thing for certain is that adding a skilled big man and padding the second unit are “musts.”

Frankly, going from “worst to first” won’t be out of the question.

Feel free to glimpse at some of the other NBA franchises’ biggest needs.