5 pressing questions warriors face after a chaotic week of rostering



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In the week since Klay Thompson’s injury at the end of the season, the Warriors have positioned themselves to at least have a shot at fighting for home field advantage in the playoffs this season.

That’s a far cry from the legitimate title claim, but perhaps a better case scenario, given that Thompson looks at a nine to 12 month recovery after having surgery on his torn right Achilles tendon on Wednesday.

General manager Bob Myers worked tirelessly to capitalize on the strengths of the team, drafting James Wiseman at No.2, negotiating for Kelly Oubre Jr., and signing free agents Brad Wanamaker and Kent Bazemore. With one or two additions still expected, the Warriors are poised to have the highest payroll in NBA history with over $ 300 million, including the luxury tax bill.

That may seem like outrageous for a team that, at best, should be fighting for the No.4 seed in a busy Western conference. The coronavirus pandemic has forced franchises across the league to take a close look at their finances, and the Warriors are no exception.

But even with fans who aren’t expected to be at the Chase Center at least early in the season, Golden State has admitted that after injuries derailed last season and left it with a 15-50 worst NBA record, he didn’t have the luxury of another season focused on player development. The strongest of team cultures couldn’t take so many losses.

By using their $ 17.2 million trade exception to soak up Oubre’s $ 14.4 million salary for 2020-21 and provide an acceptable – albeit imperfect – replacement for Thompson, the Warriors made sure to give their fans something worth watching this season. Here are Golden State’s five most pressing questions after a frantic week of roster building:

What is the 2020-21 Warriors’ style of play?

To get the most out of this team, head coach Steve Kerr needs to build on the strengths of his staff. That means, whenever Golden State fixes a defensive rebound this season, they should try to pick up the pace.

In their three seasons with Kevin Durant (2016-19), the Warriors had the ultimate bailout – a 6-foot-10 forward who could break head-to-head defenders and break through fadeaway jumpers whenever the The offensive encountered a problem. Last season, with Durant in Brooklyn and Thompson and Stephen Curry injured, Golden State struggled to adjust and struggled to channel its signing speed.

These lottery-related warriors finished eighth at the last in the NBA in rhythm. But with Oubre, Wiseman, Wanamaker, Bazemore and Andrew Wiggins in the fold, Golden State now has all the makings of a strong transition team.

Oubre, who placed 15th in the league last season with 282 transition points, excels in quick breaks and highlight-worthy dunks. Wanamaker and Bazemore were also acquired, at least in part, because they can speed up the attack and find lanes of traffic.

Wiseman intends to slip into a rim racer role, and Wiggins is similar to Oubre – a versatile kite who is at his best in transition. With Curry and Draymond Green initiating the offense, the Warriors may want to go faster than they even did before Durant arrived, seizing any opportunity for a quick break.

The Raptors led the NBA last season by transitioning to 21.6% of their possessions. To become a real threat in the West, Warriors would likely need to eclipse that number. There is simply nothing else in which this iteration of Golden State has a distinct advantage over the competition.

Will the defense be good enough?

History suggests that even in order to have dark horse shot in contention, a team must have a defensive rating that ranks in the top half of the league. After finishing fifth worst in the NBA last season in this category, the Warriors have a lot of work ahead of them.

Oubre, Bazemore and Wanamaker have enough size and lateral speed to hold multiple positions, but none of them will scare away the opponent’s top scorers. That leaves Green as the Warriors’ only proven top defenseman, which, given that the best franchise options tend to be wings these days, isn’t necessarily ideal.

While Green and Wiseman are well suited to anchor the interior, Golden State needs someone to help replace the defensive void along the perimeter left by Thompson and Andre Iguodala. Wiggins, once rated by FiveThirtyEight.com as the “least defensive player” in the NBA, might actually be the Warriors’ best option against high-volume scorers like James Harden and Devin Booker.

In 12 games with Golden State last season, Wiggins showed a willingness to make life difficult on All-Star caliber wings. The question now is whether it can be a consistent stopper. Barring another defensive-focused addition to the Warrior roster, Wiggins might have little choice.

Will the Warriors still thrive from 3 points?

Part of what makes Thompson so effective is that he doesn’t see an open lane and automatically attacks the rim. Arguably the second-best marksman in NBA history behind Curry, Thompson hit 51 3-point transition points in his last active season. Dropping these types of points has an emotional impact on any defense.

Thompson’s main substitutes, Oubre and Wiggins, are just adequate shooters for their position. Although Oubre was right on the league average with a 3-point percentage of 35.2 last season, the career-best percentage, Wiggins shot 33.2% from beyond the arc.

To stand any chance of taking the field advantage in the playoffs, the Warriors will likely need both Oubre and Wiggins to shoot closer to 36% from the 3-point distance. The only Golden State player to shoot better than the league average last season was Damion Lee, who, with 4.9 attempts from 3 points per game, shot 35.6%.

The additions of Wanamaker (36.3% on 3 points last season) and Bazemore (38.4% on 3 points in 25 games with the Kings last season), as well as the return of a healthy Curry, should help the Warriors from beyond the arc. But they’re a team that sees 3-point shooting as a key part of their identity, and they’re not trying to change that with Thompson again.

Who will start and who will end the matches?

The Warriors’ “death lineup” of Curry, Thompson, Iguodala, Durant and Green was a driving force behind their most recent championship teams. When a high-stakes game was on the line, Kerr could deploy perhaps the most intimidating five-player unit in NBA history.

But with Thompson sidelined and Durant and Iguodala gone, Kerr may need to get more creative this season. Chances are, Curry, Oubre, Wiggins, and Green will start and end matches. But this fifth place is up for grabs, Kerr potentially changing it from night to night depending on the clashes.

The starting center position will likely be between Wiseman and Marquese Chriss, with Wiseman entering training camp with a slight advantage. But in tough times, Kerr could go with Eric Paschall up front and Green down center in a small ball formation. It’s also possible that, if Kerr needs stoppages, he’ll plug Kevon Looney into the stretch.

And after?

The Warriors have 14 players in line to make the 15-man roster, with second-round pick Nico Mannion expected to take one of the team’s two two-way contracts. Mychal Mulder and Juan Toscano-Anderson, who both showed potential with Golden State late last season, could also earn a chance for a guaranteed deal for 2020-2021.

But if the Warriors decide to use their last 15-player spot on someone else, they’re left with $ 3.5 million on the mid-tier exception and the $ 9.3 million exception for. disabled players to bring in another player. Their problem is that no one who remains in free will has an obvious sense.

The Warriors could use another perimeter defender or a big ground spacing man, but their best option to get one might be on the buyout market or on the trade deadline. It is highly likely that Golden State will wait until mid-season to use its DPE, which does not expire until April 19.

Connor Letourneau takes over the Warriors for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @Con_Chron



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