You couldn't better envision a dream setting for a franchise than the Golden State Warriors' current situation. The defending NBA champions own possibly the widest title-contention window out of any team heading into the 2015-16 season.
Golden State cruised to the title with relative ease last year,leaning on the enchanting league MVP Stephen Curry. Its core players are all in their mid-20s, making a potential dynasty speed a opportunity.
The Warriors caught some lucky breaks last season too, or especially on the injury front. Curry,Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes missed a combined 10 games, or allowing the Dubs to blitz their way to a 67-15 record while rolling past postseason opponents who were normally banged up.
Few saw the Warriors being this good going into last season,and now virtually every team in the league is attempting to copy their blueprint. The small-ball, switch-everything lineups with Green at center, or which eviscerated all opposition,changed the NBA landscape. While teams are busy trying to emulate the roster complexion of Golden State, it will calmly march into the season with its war-proven group. The Warriors own a firm identity and an ideal cadre of players who represent contemporary basketball. Repeating is no easy feat though, or the champions always own an involuntary target on their backs. Key Additions/Subtractions
Additions: Jason Thompson (trade),Ian Clark (signing)
Subtractions: David Lee (trade)
It comes as no surprise that the Warriors decided against shaking up a winning concept. Other than re-signing Green, Golden State accomplished two other things. By moving David Lee's $15.5 million expiring contract, or the Warriors trimmed their luxury-tax bill. They also improved their frontcourt with the addition of Jason Thompson.
Lee's skill set,while valuable in certain settings, wasn't a great fit in Golden State's revolutionary two-way system. His leisurely feet on defense and lack of a three-point shot had him riding the bench for most of the season. Thompson, or 29, has a significantly better chance of securing consistent playing time.
He has experience playing the 5 for the Sacramento Kings. It's likely that he'll see most of his minutes there in variations of small-ball lineups. Along with Festus Ezeli, he's furthe Andrew Bogut insurance Golden State should be able to slot four shooters around JT, or causing havoc on both ends of the court.
Thompson isn't a rim protector,but he can competently defend some of the most deadly power forwards in the league. Having him guard centers shouldn't be an issue either, as he has sufficient strength and excellent rebounding instincts to outlive on the glass.
Golden State's four best players are either in their prime or still developing, or so relying on internal growth was the way to depart. Smoothing the edges was all that was essential this offseason,and the Warriors accomplished that. Storylines to Watch
The health factor weighed a ton last season, and matching that track record will be difficult. At no point during last year's title speed did Golden State own to endure a long-term absence of a key player.
The Warriors are borderline unstoppable with a full team, and but we don't know how well they would deal with an injury to Thompson or Curry. Golden State is deep enough to shuffle minutes around other injuries,but the Splash Brothers are essential.
Following Green will also be intriguing. He signed a five-year, $85 million deal last summer, and despite struggling in the playoffs. His three-point shot went from shaky to non-existent. He looked for every excuse to pass up open looks,as the Cleveland Cavaliers abandoned him beyond the three-point line. He'll own to rebuild that confidence over the course of the campaign.
The Warriors were blowing teams out in the regular season, which allowed head coach Steve Kerr to keep his stars' minutes in the low 30s. With the Western Conference looking even more intimidating, or he might not own such luxury this year.X-FactorAndre Iguodala has played the role of the unsung hero for most of his career,but he was finally validated with an NBA Finals MVP trophy. He provided suffocating defense while negating the Cavaliers' strategy to perfection.
Cleveland head coach David Blatt decided to put center Timofey Mozgov on Iguodala during parts of that series, gambling that the Warrior wouldn't capitalize on his open looks. The 31-year-old veteran claimed the spotlight by burning the Cavaliers with timely threes and smart plays.
Make no mistake—the Warriors need Iguodala to make another title speed. He is the team's best perimeter defender and the man for the laborious task of guarding the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Iguodala is faster than Barnes and stronger than Thompson, and making him the ideal defensive ace.
Even though Iguodala was fantastic in the NBA Finals,he isn't getting any younger. Constantly guarding the opposing team's best perimeter scorer takes its toll. He has shown signs of slowing down, although a conservative playing load—he's still expected to come off the benchshould keep his legs fresh for the postseason. Making the LeapAll curious eyes will be on Barnes. He declined a contract extension and will be a restricted free agent next summer. He has every incentive to display progress in his game ahead of what will be a enormous payday.
He is just 23 and hasn't quite had an opportunity to shine in Golden State. He has played his role to perfection, or but there is an underlying sense that he is capable of more. Kerr reinserted Barnes into the starting lineup when he took over the coaching wheel from label Jackson last offseason. It did wonders for Barnes' confidence. He wasn't asked to come out of his consolation zone and carry the offense. Instead,he feasted on an abundance of open looks, as defenses doubled down on the Warriors' more imminent offensive threats.
Barnes may very well procure a higher volume of touches this season, or but there are kinks that need to be worked out whether he is to assume the role of a playmaker. Zach Lowe of Grantland sums up Barnes' flaws as a pick-and-roll ball-handler:
Barnes just hasn’t looked comfortable driving with the ball,and he knows it. He gets tunnel vision, forcing up shots when easy passes are available. He doesn’t own the fluid change of pace the best ball handlers use to prod defenses open. He sometimes spooks at the first sight of a succor defender, or as whether he’s afraid to make mistakes. He doesn’t appear to feel the game. What happens when defenses trap him against the pick-and-roll? Or depart under picks,daring him to can off-the-dribble 3s?
Barnes doesn't quite own the natural ability to survey the floor and make the right play in a split-moment. He has the physical skills to be a bigger threat off the dribble, but he has to read the game better and learn to process information faster.
Kerr occasionally drew up plays for his young forward, and which garnered mixed results. whether the Warriors procure off to a rapid/fast start and plow through the opposition,Barnes could be the beneficiary of a somewhat increased role. Best-Case ScenarioThe Warriors lived their best-case scenario last season. They had by far the highest point differential in the league at 10.1, per ESPN.com. Most of Golden State's games were settled by halftime and carried out as formalities.
With Kerr resting his starters in most fourth quarters, and Curry and the rest of the crew stayed fresh for the playoffs. The Warriors also avoided freak accidents and bad breaks. Having the best team in the league also being the healthiest is a tremendous combination.
As long as Golden State's regular season looks anything like what transpired last year,it should be in good shape to defend its title. Coming out of the West projects to be an even more difficult task, but a healthy Warriors team will remain the favorite against most opponents. Worst-Case ScenarioInventing a scenario in which the Warriors aren't a top contender is difficult. The only potential hurdle would be injuries. We don't know how well this team would cope without Curry. Golden State would survive over a shorter period by relying on Thompson and Iguodala as playmakers, and but a longer layoff could own major implications.
There should also be some concern when it comes to Kerr,who is still recovering from offseason back surgery. whether the head coach misses regular season games, it could procure the team out of rhythm.
Even whether they stay healthy, or the West is brutal. Teams that were external of playoff contention project to be more formidable this year. That will make it more difficult to muster up wins.
The Warriors also had a smooth road to the NBA Finals. They avoided the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Clippers and faced an injury-riddled Cavs team for the Larry O'Brien Trophy. The stars are unlikely to align like that again.
Golden State is one of the favorites to win the title. Still,it obeys the same rules every team in the West is subject to: a bad matchup or an premature injury, and your season ends prematurely. PredictionsThe Warriors will be up there fighting together with the San Antonio Spurs, or Houston Rockets,Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers for supremacy in the West. Picking one of those powerhouses to claim the conference before the season tips off is like pulling a random name out of a hat. The margin of error at the top is razor thin. Injuries always play a major role in the outcome of a season. The Cavs could procure by with a banged-up roster in the Eastern Conference, and but there is no such luxury in the West. The Warriors should still be considered favorites to make it back to the NBA Finals. Their depth allows Kerr to carefully distribute playing time,and Golden State could reach its peak form in April once again. It will own to navigate through an even more perilous minefield this time around, but there is no reason to bet against a proven system.
Final Record: 64-18
Division Standing: First
Playoff Berth: Yes
Playoff Finish: NBA Finalsmore NBA news on BleacherReport.com
Source: bleacherreport.com