Offseason Recap
Arrivals: Nick Young, Omri Casspi, Jordan Bell, Chris Boucher, Georges Niang, Michael Gbinije
Departures: Matt Barnes, Ian Clark, James McAdoo
The Warriors’ offseason was a rousing success. They accomplished their main goal, which was to keep the core of their championship-winning team intact. Stephen Curry got his $200 million maximum deal as expected, while Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston also got fairly paid. Better yet, they got a discount from Kevin Durant, allowing the Dubs to re-sign one of the top players in the league at below market value.
The Warriors were able to bring back essentially the same frontcourt from last year as Zaza Pachulia, JaVale McGee, and David West all re-signed for the veteran's minimum. Meanwhile, they got three potentially productive pieces in Nick Young, Omri Casspi, and Jordan Bell, who should add to what was already a very deep team that will once again be the overwhelming favorite this upcoming season.
Projected Depth Chart
C – Zaza Pachulia / JaVale McGee / Damian Jones
PF – Draymond Green / David West / Jordan Bell / Kevon Looney
SF – Kevin Durant / Andre Iguodala / Omri Casspi
SG – Klay Thompson / Nick Young / Patrick McCaw
PG – Stephen Curry / Shaun Livingston
Strengths
Seeing as how they finished with (by far) the best offense in the league and the second-best defense during the regular season, and had one of the greatest playoff runs ever (20-1) en route to winning the championship, it’s safe to say this Warriors team does a lot of things well.
The Dubs already had a fairly easy time putting up points, and that was before signing one of the greatest scorers ever in Durant, who has become an uber-efficient scoring monster in their system. Their spacing is impeccable, they can shoot the lights out, they’re deadly on the fast break and they share the ball. When they’re on, they’re basically unguardable.
And as good as the Warriors are on offense, they’re perhaps just as good or better on defense when completely locked in. Not only do they have reigning Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green anchoring that defense, they also have a seven-foot freak in Durant who’s also transformed into a top rim protector in their “small” lineups. It really is unfair.
Apart from that, the Dubs also have strong team chemistry, impressive depth, and an outstanding head coach in Steve Kerr, so good for them.
Weaknesses
As great as the Warriors are, they're not perfect. They had the second-worst defensive rebounding rate in the league last season, and can get bullied on the offensive glass. They can also get a bit careless with the basketball and commit unforced turnovers.
And of course, there's also the potential for complacency. This will now be the fourth year of their magnificent run, and after they thoroughly dominated the competition in the playoffs in 2017, they could just decide to take the foot off the gas during the regular season and simply wait to turn it on in the postseason.
Player to Watch – Nick Young
Golden State were so good last season that they made a productive rotation player out of JaVale McGee. And now, McGee’s old buddy Nick Young is in line to get the same treatment this year after coming over from the Lakers.
Young has been much maligned throughout his career as a gunner without a conscience, which probably won’t fly in the unselfish Warriors system. But the Warriors have a knack of minimizing a player’s weaknesses and accentuating his strengths. If Young can curb his worst tendencies and hone in on what he’s good at, which is shooting, then he should get some consistent playing time for the Dubs this season.
Of course, Swaggy P 's still bound to do some typical Swaggy P things, and his antics will be worth watching in what should be a fairly nondescript regular season for the Warriors.
2017/18 Schedule
Oct 17 vs Houston
Oct 20 at New Orleans
Oct 21 at Memphis
Oct 23 at Dallas
Oct 25 vs Toronto
Oct 27 vs Washington
Oct 29 vs Detroit
Oct 30 at L.A. Clippers
Nov 2 at San Antonio
Nov 4 at Denver
Nov 6 vs Miami
Nov 8 vs Minnesota
Nov 11 vs Philadelphia
Nov 13 vs Orlando
Nov 16 at Boston
Nov 18 at Philadelphia
Nov 19 at Brooklyn
Nov 22 at Oklahoma City
Nov 24 vs Chicago
Nov 25 vs New Orleans
Nov 27 vs Sacramento
Nov 29 at L.A. Lakers
Dec 1 at Orlando
Dec 3 at Miami
Dec 4 at New Orleans
Dec 6 at Charlotte
Dec 8 at Detroit
Dec 11 vs Portland
Dec 14 vs Dallas
Dec 18 at L.A. Lakers
Dec 20 vs Memphis
Dec 22 vs L.A. Lakers
Dec 23 vs Denver
Dec 25 vs Cleveland
Dec 27 vs Utah
Dec 29 vs Charlotte
Dec 30 vs Memphis
Jan 3 at Dallas
Jan 4 at Houston
Jan 6 at L.A. Clippers
Jan 8 vs Denver
Jan 10 vs L.A. Clippers
Jan 12 at Milwaukee
Jan 13 at Toronto
Jan 15 at Cleveland
Jan 17 at Chicago
Jan 20 at Houston
Jan 23 vs New York
Jan 25 vs Minnesota
Jan 27 vs Boston
Jan 30 at Utah
Feb 2 at Sacramento
Feb 3 at Denver
Feb 6 vs Oklahoma City
Feb 8 vs Dallas
Feb 10 vs San Antonio
Feb 12 vs Phoenix
Feb 14 at Portland
Feb 22 vs L.A. Clippers
Feb 24 vs Oklahoma City
Feb 26 at New York
Feb 28 at Washington
Mar 2 at Atlanta
Mar 6 vs Brooklyn
Mar 8 vs San Antonio
Mar 9 at Portland
Mar 11 at Minnesota
Mar 14 vs L.A. Lakers
Mar 16 vs Sacramento
Mar 17 at Phoenix
Mar 19 at San Antonio
Mar 23 vs Atlanta
Mar 25 vs Utah
Mar 27 vs Indiana
Mar 29 vs Milwaukee
Mar 31 at Sacramento
Apr 1 vs Phoenix
Apr 3 at Oklahoma City
Apr 5 at Indiana
Apr 7 vs New Orleans
Apr 8 at Phoenix
Apr 10 at Utah
Prediction
The Warriors are just head and shoulders above everyone else in the West and the NBA in general. Unless they suffer a rash of injuries, no one's stopping them from repeating. They go 63-19 as they take it easy in the regular season, but once the postseason rolls along, so do they. It's just a matter of how many games it'll take for them to win yet another title.
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