2023-24 NBA Season Preview: Golden State Warriors
We are less than a week away from the start of the 2023-24 NBA season! Up until opening night on Oct. 24, we will be previewing all 30 NBA teams! Today, we will be previewing the Golden State Warriors, who look to earn their fifth title in a decade, having to battle the Wild Wild West!
What happened last year?
What DIDN’T happen last year???
Before a ball was bounced in anger, Draymond Green king hit Jordan Poole. The incident clearly had a negative effect on Poole who, despite averaging a career-high 20.4 points per game, was a tentative, inefficient shell of himself all season.
For his part, Green was maddeningly inconsistent at both ends of the floor. That may be age-related, but the lasting impact his actions had on his own psyche can’t be discounted. Andrew Wiggins also missed 45 games for what was at the time a mystery though turned out to be a serious medical situation for his father, former long-time NBA guard Mitchell.
The team finally started to admit defeat on its “two timeline” approach by trading James Wiseman before the deadline and reacquiring Gary Payton II, who barely played for the Dubs due to injury.
Come playoff time, the 6th seeded Warriors needed a Steph Curry Game 7 masterpiece to get by the Sacramento Kings before being thoroughly outclassed by the Lakers in a six-game series that wasn’t all that close.
Offseason recap:
In the aftermath of Green’s belligerence and the Wiseman move demonstrating that Golden State was prepared to cut bait on its youngsters, it came as no surprise to see Poole move on. What was shocking was seeing long-time Warriors adversary Chris Paul coming the other way.
The 38-year-old former superstar is not quite a spent force though he’s perilously close to it. This version of Paul struggles to generate separation off the dribble resulting in tougher shots for the diminutive maestro. Defensively, he’s a shadow of his best self. How he fits in with the Dubs will prove most fascinating.
The team also brought in Dario Saric in what could prove a stealthily excellent addition and drafted Brandin Podziemski with the 19th pick, effectively replacing Donte DiVincenzo, who swapped coasts to join New York.
Projected Starting Five?
Stephen Curry, PG – You may have heard of him.
Klay Thompson, SG – This is an awfully big year for Thompson. He’ll be 34-years-old at season’s end and – crucially – an unrestricted free agent. Between his advancing years and back-to-back devastating injuries, he’s clearly not the player that he was, particularly on defense. Thompson had no burst off the dribble and his finishing around the rim was frankly awful. His shooting, though, remains elite. Klay averaged 21.9 points on 43/41/88 shooting splits and projects a gravity only exceeded by Damian Lillard and Curry.
With a full season post injuries under his belt, can Thompson get the remainder of his game back to something approaching his best? His future with the Warriors depends on it.
Andrew Wiggins, SF – The loss of Wiggins for large swathes of the campaign affected the Warriors more than they may care to admit. The former 1st overall pick in 2014 is the sort of do-it-all player that greases the Warriors wheels. In the 37 games that Wiggins did play, he averaged 17.1 points (on 47/40/61 splits), five boards, 2.3 assists and two stocks (steals plus blocks), more often than not guarding the opposition’s best perimeter player. The sheer athleticism of the Canadian was sorely missed on an aging Warriors team.
Draymond Green, PF – Somehow, Green managed to come away from cold-cocking a teammate with a $100 million contract extension. He remains an all-world defender and playmaker, who shares a mind-meld with Curry. Yet it’s clear that Green has slipped a little as the wear and tear of playing as an undersized centre takes its toll. Whilst Saric will bolster the big-man rotation, how Green holds up in 2024 will go a long way towards dictating the Warriors’ success.
Kevon Looney, C – Injury threatened to derail Looney’s career before it even started, yet through hard work and an acceptance of what he would have to do to survive in the NBA (as opposed to, say, Jabari Parker) the big man has become an integral member of the Dubs, with three rings to show for his efforts.
Looney will never blow you away with a rampaging drive, powerful post moves or a sweet outside stroke. Rather, he’s comfortable doing all of the little things – boxing out, setting hard screens, checking cutters – that allow his teammates to shine.
Notable Reserves:
Chris Paul, PG – More on him below….
Dario Saric, C/F – Coming off an ACL tear that cost him all of the 2022 season, Saric had an understated return to action, averaging 6.4 points per game in around 14 minutes of action for the Suns and Thunder. The 29-year-old, though, is exactly the sort of player who should thrive in the Warriors offensive system. The Croat is an excellent passer and off-ball mover whose high IQ play should meld with his teammates. His ability to stretch the floor (36% career from three) can’t be overlooked, either.
Jonathan Kuminga, F – What a teasing, tantalising talent Kuminga is. Long, fast, almost laughably springy, Kuminga is a highlight looking for a reel. Once he actually learns how to play basketball, look out!
Kuminga is still painfully young, having just turned 21 last week. He has time on his side. In a sense, he’s in the perfect place to learn his craft, surrounded by championship-winning superstars and what has been – until Draymond’s haymaker, at least – thought of as one of the preeminent cultures within the NBA.
On the other hand, Golden State’s perennial contention means that Kuminga doesn’t get the opportunity to play through his mistakes and he plays in one of the most idiosyncratic systems in the modern NBA; a system that is exceedingly difficult to learn and not really replicable with any other team.
Biggest X-Factor? Chris Paul
This is going to be one hell of a chemistry experiment!
Paul is famed for his deliberate and meticulous style of play, dissecting a defense like a surgeon with a scalpel. The Warriors have made their name on a risk/reward offense that favours bravery over safety. In other words: oil, meet water.
Stylistic clash aside, the relationship between the Warriors and Paul has never been all that harmonious. How Paul assimilates with his new teammates – a group who have been together for over a decade and are famously tight – could prove crucial.
Paul’s reaction to potentially starting on the bench isn’t a great start.
Season projection?
From “The Punch,” to Wiggins’ absence, to getting crushed by the Lakers, last season undoubtedly stung this proud, veteran squad. Look for them to reclaim some ground in 2024 as they win 49 games.
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