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OAKLAND, CA – SEPTEMBER 24: (LR) Kevin Durant # 35, Draymond Green # 23, Stephen Curry # 30, Klay Thompson # 11 and DeMarcus Cousins # 0 from the Golden State Warriors pose for a group photo during the Golden State Warriors Media Day on September 24, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
As Media Day heralds the opening of a new season, the prevailing wisdom is that the Golden State Warriors fight their way through another uninspired regular season before embarking on the playoffs. After all, if they were bored and a little tired last year in pursuit of four consecutive places in the NBA finals, how much more of a regular season does it look like when they try something new since the Boston Celtics?
There is no doubt that this is a seasoned team that understands the scope of the regular season and the concept of surpassing itself. There will be a change, and veteran cast members such as André Iguodala will almost certainly hibernate until the spring. But there are plenty of reasons why this year the projects are more interesting than the rather tasteless offer of last year.
Health
There is no guarantee of better health this year. But lost in the many columns on how the Warriors were boring because of their lean (by their standards), the season of 58 wins was the effect of the bug. Last year, the Warriors made a big shot in the regular season.
More particularly, Steph Curry played only 51 games, by far the lowest number of his career, except for the 2011-12 season where he had the worst of his career. Since then, it has been good for more than 78 games a year. Despite this, last year he posted incredible efficiency figures, with a high career TS of 0.675. That's right, he was even more effective than his year "MVP unanimous".
For those who are less in love with advanced statistics, note that wThe curry fell a second time towards the end of the year towards another 50-40-90 year. Meanwhile, ESPN noted that:
With Curry in the lineup this season, the Warriors achieved 41-10 points on average 120.4 points per 100 possessions, which would be the best offensive rating of the last 20 seasons. With the ground, the Warriors were only 17-14 years old in the regular season and had an offensive efficiency close to the league average.
So, if Curry is able to get back on track, the Warriors should be much better off. He will be helped in this mission by the man who helped Steve Nash extend his career.
But it was not fair that Curry was running out of time. Kevin Durant missed 14 games. Draymond Green missed 12 games and played a big part of the year with an injury to the shoulder. Even Ironman Klay Thompson has missed nine career games due to an injury. Even with a bunch of pencil rest games, there is no reason to suspect a repeat of such a year ravaged by injury. That alone should make the Warriors much more interesting.
Draymond Green
The other notable trend last year was the Warriors slide in defense. According to www.basketball-reference.com, the Warriors earned a defensive rating of 107.6 points per 100 possessions, a good 11th place in the league. The previous three seasons, they had finished fourth (16/17), second (15/16) and first (14/15). Nobody expects them to play defense in January with the intensity and ferocity they will have in May and June. But a particular player should be a little more focused.
Draymond Green is in the Warriors' defense what Steph Curry is to their offensive system. He can also qualify for a huge veteran extension as he makes an All-NBA team or wins the defensive player title of the year again this year. This does not mean that the Warriors will offer him this contract, but it will increase his influence in the negotiations when the time comes.
Last season was a bit of a year off for Green in the regular season before he got into the playoffs, reaffirming himself as one of the league's first defensive players. While it has downplayed the incentive effect of a designated potential extension of veterans during media day, this can only help refine the spirit. And if Green is a little more engaged throughout this year, then the energy and defense of the Warriors will take a step forward.
DeMarcus Cousins
The greatest excitement surrounding the warriors this year is the arrival of DeMarcus Cousins. The addition of an All-NBA All-Star Center to this historic core of players is simply unprecedented. But there are many unanswered questions. How will he come back from a devastating injury? How will warriors adapt their style to make the most of their supernatural talents? Can Steve Kerr keep a lid on a more fuel-efficient locker?
The addition of cousins certainly adds intrigue to basketball fans. But it will also add a new challenge, new feel, and excitement to Warrior players, saving them from the boredom of the regular season. Remember how they were when Kerr inserted JaVale McGee into the starting lineup during the All-Star break? Cousins may be a different player, but he also has a different level of talent. Once he has regained the pace, the Warriors players will want to go wild.
Youth movement
Steve Kerr spoke throughout the summer about the younger Warriors to keep the team cool. And the team has a lot. Jordan Bell, Kevon Looney and Damian Jones will face each other for minutes in the middle as Cousins heals. Jacob Evans, Damion Lee and Quinn Cook will do the same on the wings and in the backcourt, taking some of the charge from Iguodala and Shaun Livingston. Pat McCaw could well join them, although he needs to put his skates to avoid being left behind.
Last year, the bench gave very little to Steve Kerr. Only David West was always great in the regular season and called him a day. Nick Young was erratic, Omri Casspi ineffective. Iguodala did not appear before the break of the stars. Livingston also held out for the playoffs, where it was really necessary. No one else has really had constant time all year long. But the energy of youth, coupled with the addition of great power to the marksmanship at Jonas Jerebko, should give a blow to the Warriors.
They are still the Golden State Warriors
In all the discussions about boredom and discomfort, the fact is that it's still one of the largest teams in the NBA history. They play an exciting and fast style, and perhaps boast of the finest collection of individual talents operating in a system forged by some of the most innovative and successful coaches in the NBA. We may all be spoiled by all this.
At one point, basketball fans will marvel at this team and wonder how it is possible to reunite five of the top 25 players in the NBA, as well as another MVP and former star player, outside of an All-Star. Olympic game or tournament.
This point can come sooner than later. The next summers will be huge, and even if they cross the tightening of the salary cap ahead, the father's time remains undefeated. It was notable at the media day that Klay Thompson and Draymond Green (in a measure) have reaffirmed their desire to stay long-term with the warriors, Kevin Durant has left the door open.
Speculation about Durant's future will rage all year long, although no one knows what he's going to do next summer, including probably Durant at this point. Warriors have a strong hand to play. They can offer more money, the warm family fire of warriors, which will be difficult to replicate elsewhere (especially in the constant turmoil and intrigue of Madison Square Garden) and the best chances to win. Then there is Durant's love for the tech scene and the opportunity to play at least a season that the Warriors hope to be one of the first North American sports venues at Chase Center. It is difficult to see him overthrowing all of this, at least in the short term. But until the decision is made, it is not done.
Even if Durant returns, these warriors will look different next year. The cousins will almost certainly go forward and the veterans of Livingston and Iguodala will likely be victims of wage caps. So this season is really designed to be Golden State Warriors.
In the meantime, the warriors are still the warriors. If this has to be a last chance, then this should be a memorable season.
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OAKLAND, CA – SEPTEMBER 24: (LR) Kevin Durant # 35, Draymond Green # 23, Stephen Curry # 30, Klay Thompson # 11 and DeMarcus Cousins # 0 from the Golden State Warriors pose for a group photo during the Golden State Warriors Media Day on September 24, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
As Media Day heralds the opening of a new season, the prevailing wisdom is that the Golden State Warriors fight their way through another uninspired regular season before embarking on the playoffs. After all, if they were bored and a little tired last year in pursuit of four consecutive places in the NBA finals, how much more of a regular season does it look like when they try something new since the Boston Celtics?
There is no doubt that this is a seasoned team that understands the scope of the regular season and the concept of surpassing itself. There will be a change, and veteran cast members such as André Iguodala will almost certainly hibernate until the spring. But there are plenty of reasons why this year the projects are more interesting than the rather tasteless offer of last year.
Health
There is no guarantee of better health this year. But lost in the many columns on how the Warriors were boring because of their lean (by their standards), the season of 58 wins was the effect of the bug. Last year, the Warriors made a big shot in the regular season.
More particularly, Steph Curry played only 51 games, by far the lowest number of his career, except for the 2011-12 season where he had the worst of his career. Since then, it has been good for more than 78 games a year. Despite this, last year he posted incredible efficiency figures, with a high career TS of 0.675. That's right, he was even more effective than his year "MVP unanimous".
For those who are less in love with advanced statistics, note that wThe curry fell a second time towards the end of the year towards another 50-40-90 year. Meanwhile, ESPN noted that:
With Curry in the lineup this season, the Warriors achieved 41-10 points on average 120.4 points per 100 possessions, which would be the best offensive rating of the last 20 seasons. With the ground, the Warriors were only 17-14 years old in the regular season and had an offensive efficiency close to the league average.
So, if Curry is able to get back on track, the Warriors should be much better off. He will be helped in this mission by the man who helped Steve Nash extend his career.
But it was not fair that Curry was running out of time. Kevin Durant missed 14 games. Draymond Green missed 12 games and played a big part of the year with an injury to the shoulder. Even Ironman Klay Thompson has missed nine career games due to an injury. Even with a bunch of pencil rest games, there is no reason to suspect a repeat of such a year ravaged by injury. That alone should make the warriors much more interesting.
Draymond Green
The other notable trend last year was the Warriors slide in defense. According to www.basketball-reference.com, the Warriors earned a defensive rating of 107.6 points per 100 possessions, a good 11th place in the league. The previous three seasons, they had finished fourth (16/17), second (15/16) and first (14/15). Nobody expects them to play defense in January with the intensity and ferocity they will have in May and June. But a particular player should be a little more focused.
Draymond Green is in the Warriors' defense what Steph Curry is to their offensive system. He can also qualify for a huge veteran extension as he makes an All-NBA team or wins the defensive player title of the year again this year. This does not mean that the Warriors will offer him this contract, but it will increase his influence in the negotiations when the time comes.
Last season was a bit of a year off for Green in the regular season before he got into the playoffs, reaffirming himself as one of the league's first defensive players. While it has downplayed the incentive effect of a designated potential extension of veterans during media day, this can only help refine the spirit. And if Green is a little more engaged throughout this year, then the energy and defense of the Warriors will take a step forward.
DeMarcus Cousins
The greatest excitement surrounding the warriors this year is the arrival of DeMarcus Cousins. The addition of an All-NBA All-Star Center to this historic core of players is simply unprecedented. But there are many unanswered questions. How will he come back from a devastating injury? How will warriors adapt their style to make the most of their supernatural talents? Can Steve Kerr keep a lid on a more fuel-efficient locker?
The addition of cousins certainly adds intrigue to basketball fans. But it will also add a new challenge, new feel, and excitement to Warrior players, saving them from the boredom of the regular season. Remember how they were when Kerr inserted JaVale McGee into the starting lineup during the All-Star break? Cousins may be a different player, but he also has a different level of talent. Once he has regained the pace, the Warriors players will want to go wild.
Youth movement
Steve Kerr spoke throughout the summer about the younger Warriors to keep the team cool. And the team has a lot. Jordan Bell, Kevon Looney and Damian Jones will face each other for minutes in the middle as Cousins heals. Jacob Evans, Damion Lee and Quinn Cook will do the same on the wings and in the backcourt, taking some of the charge from Iguodala and Shaun Livingston. Pat McCaw could well join them, although he needs to put his skates to avoid being left behind.
Last year, the bench gave very little to Steve Kerr. Only David West was always great in the regular season and called him a day. Nick Young was erratic, Omri Casspi ineffective. Iguodala did not appear before the break of the stars. Livingston also held out for the playoffs, where it was really necessary. No one else has really had constant time all year long. But the energy of youth, coupled with the addition of great power to the marksmanship at Jonas Jerebko, should give a blow to the Warriors.
They are still the Golden State Warriors
In all the discussions about boredom and discomfort, the fact is that it's still one of the largest teams in the NBA history. They play an exciting and fast style, and perhaps boast of the finest collection of individual talents operating in a system forged by some of the most innovative and successful coaches in the NBA. We may all be spoiled by all this.
At one point, basketball fans will marvel at this team and wonder how it is possible to reunite five of the top 25 players in the NBA, as well as another MVP and former star player, outside of an All-Star. Olympic game or tournament.
This point can come sooner than later. The next summers will be huge, and even if they cross the tightening of the salary cap ahead, the father's time remains undefeated. It was notable at the media day that Klay Thompson and Draymond Green (in a measure) have reaffirmed their desire to stay long-term with the warriors, Kevin Durant has left the door open.
Speculation about Durant's future will rage all year long, although no one knows what he's going to do next summer, including probably Durant at this point. Warriors have a strong hand to play. They can offer more money, the warm family fire of warriors, which will be difficult to replicate elsewhere (especially in the constant turmoil and intrigue of Madison Square Garden) and the best chances to win. Then there is Durant's love for the tech scene and the opportunity to play at least a season that the Warriors hope to be one of the first North American sports venues at Chase Center. It is difficult to see him overthrowing all this, at least in the short term. But until the decision is made, it is not done.
Even if Durant returns, these warriors will look different next year. The cousins will almost certainly go forward and the veterans of Livingston and Iguodala will likely be victims of wage caps. So this season is really designed to be Golden State Warriors.
In the meantime, the warriors are still the warriors. If this has to be a last chance, then this should be a memorable season.
