At full strength the current roster is close to best

[GQ Hot Dog]

The older team's bench lineup used to be strong enough to be a playoff team in the East. This team doesn't have close to the caliber bench players. It's going to be tough for the starters. They will have to play more minutes and stagger the substitution pattern more. Honestly none of the bench players look like legitimate starters on an eastern playoff team. The coaching staff really has to get these guys playing at a high level quickly to relieve the starters. The key to this season will be how well the coaching staff develops the younger guys. They have done it in the past with the big three and Looney, but it probably won't happen this year as it will take time to get them up to speed in the system and culture.

First of all, the East was worse back then than it is now and second, I don't know who was worthy of starting on an Eastern playoff team other than Iguodala, West and maybe Liv and that's not enough to field a starting 5.

[Mylie10]

Studs: Curry, Dray, Klay, Russell
Role players: WCS, Looney, McKinnie
Questionable journeymen: Burks, Robinson, Lee
Unknown: Evans, Bowman, Poole, Paschall, Spellman, Smiley

The Warriors go from one of the oldest to one of the youngest teams while keeping their top 3 players, bring in several guys they know can play in the NBA all with a hard cap. I genuinely like this roster and am looking forward more to this year than last. Good job Myers.

I like the way you laid out your questionable and unknown list.

That is where we need to find the diamonds in the rough. I say that in the plural because I'm a positive guy. However we'd be lucky to get one.

If those guys can stay healthy and merely improve, we may have something.

I think Paschall is gonna be solid. I'm not even worried about him. But damn bro, get a neck in the off-season.

I love Poole's confidence, and I think we won't have to worry about him taking open shots. Like we did with some fools in the past.

Smiley's just to young right now. He will make tons of raw kid mistakes. They will find some games for him to get into, but they will be few and far between.

Spellman is a lock to help if he isn't as fat as John Candy (Look it up kids). Spellmans jp shot is for real. And he has a great understanding and feel for the game. He won't be having Damian Jones moments.

I doubt Bowman sees more than a few games with the big club.

Evans is gonna play, and I just hope he doesn't shrink. I would love to see a more vocal dude out there. He better shoot well, or he's gonna be limited minutes wise.

I've never been afraid of Burks, when we play against Burks. He just seems like a dude who isn't winning games. He doesn't seem to swing a game.

Robinson and Burks are very similar to me. He just doesnt move the needle for me. Now if dude shoots 40% from 3, then of course I'm his best new friend. He's extremely athletic when healthy, so hopefully that shows out in his play as well.

I'm pumped for Lee. I really feel like if shoots well early, and he keeps grabbing rebounds, then he's gonna break out. Dude is a legit shooter.

[dk1115]

Ever since the Warriors decided to become top heavy, the problem has always been the players surrounding Curry, Green, and Thompson. They need a rim protector/screen setter. They need another Iguodala. But what I find puzzling is that some people claim that the Warriors won't even be in the top 6 of the western conference, which I find baffling.

[KevinMcreynolds]

Ever since the Warriors decided to become top heavy, the problem has always been the players surrounding Curry, Green, and Thompson. They need a rim protector/screen setter. They need another Iguodala. But what I find puzzling is that some people claim that the Warriors won't even be in the top 6 of the western conference, which I find baffling.

Pretty amazing, we beat Houston 2 straight and swept Portland without KD and now we're some run of the mill 7th seed and 1st round exit. Not to mention we battled Toronto without KD, without Klay half the time, a one-armed Looney, and a zero-legged Cousins.

[SpreeChokeJob]

The older team's bench lineup used to be strong enough to be a playoff team in the East. This team doesn't have close to the caliber bench players. It's going to be tough for the starters. They will have to play more minutes and stagger the substitution pattern more. Honestly none of the bench players look like legitimate starters on an eastern playoff team. The coaching staff really has to get these guys playing at a high level quickly to relieve the starters. The key to this season will be how well the coaching staff develops the younger guys. They have done it in the past with the big three and Looney, but it probably won't happen this year as it will take time to get them up to speed in the system and culture.

First of all, the East was worse back then than it is now and second, I don't know who was worthy of starting on an Eastern playoff team other than Iguodala, West and maybe Liv and that's not enough to field a starting 5.

My response was to the op was comparing what we had to what we have now.

The original championship team had a bench of
Pg livingston
Sg barbosa
Sf iguodala
Pf speights/lee
C ezeli/speights
Good enough to be 5th place in the east last year

Fast forward to today and we have
Pg Evans
Sg Burks/Poole
Sf Grob/McKinnie
Pf Paschall
C Looney/spellman

The original was made up vets who could be starters in their own right. The new team bench is made up of projects. Factor in our stars aren't spring chickens anymore and the league has gotten tougher, this team will be competing for 6th, 7th place at best and 8th or out at worst. The coaching staff will have to turn these projects into starter quality. The only one I see having that potential is Paschall. Looney is a given. Poole can improve over time. Spellman has the potential, it depends on how much he wants it. The rest would follow the Brandon Rush and Ian Clarks as spot up shooters.

[SpreeChokeJob]

Pointless to look at things in hindsight, but Durant was going to leave. If they talked him into a trade to play with his buddy Kyrie on the Celtics. There was a chance Ainge would have done it.

The lineup this year would have been

Pg curry smart
Sg Thompson Evans/Poole
Sf Tatum iguodala
Pf green paschall
C cousins looney

Which looks a lot more reasonable.

[GQ Hot Dog]

Pointless to look at things in hindsight, but Durant was going to leave. If they talked him into a trade to play with his buddy Kyrie on the Celtics. There was a chance Ainge would have done it.

The lineup this year would have been

Pg curry smart
Sg Thompson Evans/Poole
Sf Tatum iguodala
Pf green paschall
C cousins looney

Which looks a lot more reasonable.

I don't think Ainge would have been willing to give up Tatum. More likely Brown and I would probably be okay with that.

[Mylie10]

While I loved our bench back in the day.

Ezeli was already nursing that knee. He was better prior to Bogut being the mail focus.

Barbosa was fun and really good at times, but he was also at the end of his time in the league. He followed playing for us with a couple of lack lustre seasons.

Speights was fun, but let's not forget that he's fully out of the league now.

Livingston was younger back then.....we got every ounce we could out of him.

Let's also not forget that we had more money to use on our bench. As the core has gotten paid, the bench suffers....duh!.....it's the price of being great over a long period of time.

This group now might be horrid, but it also has a chance to be better than the old units. We don't know because of age and previous injury. We have a chance to be extremely deep.

This whole season is about finding out who cuts the mustard and who doesn't. It's an opportunity, and I'm pumped to see how it plays out.

[Scoots1994]

Until Klay comes back, the Warriors don't have a legitimate three. McKinnie from what I saw in the playoffs isn't good enough in defense. Burks and Grob are more shooters than complete players. Rather start Dray at the three if they are facing off against a star that night at sf. Hope Poole develops into a backup point guard because this team is short there as well. But that's too much to ask for the first year guard so Evans will probably get some pg bring up the court duty.

Lot of opportunities for the younglings and journeymen to show their stuff. Paschall is the one for me to grow his all around game followed by Poole. Poole has talent but he probably won't mature into the game until two years from now.

What is "a legitimate" NBA player? They don't have anything close to a star for sure, but they do have NBA players. I think our standards are a little too high, and that may be something that held back free agents from choosing the Warriors this off-season ... who wants to be the person tasked with replacing KD?

[Scoots1994]

The older team's bench lineup used to be strong enough to be a playoff team in the East. This team doesn't have close to the caliber bench players. It's going to be tough for the starters. They will have to play more minutes and stagger the substitution pattern more. Honestly none of the bench players look like legitimate starters on an eastern playoff team. The coaching staff really has to get these guys playing at a high level quickly to relieve the starters. The key to this season will be how well the coaching staff develops the younger guys. They have done it in the past with the big three and Looney, but it probably won't happen this year as it will take time to get them up to speed in the system and culture.

I think the team knows full well they will lose more games this year because they are going to play the young guys even though it's going to cost some games. This year is about developing players and JUST making the playoffs.

[Scoots1994]

Studs: Curry, Dray, Klay, Russell
Role players: WCS, Looney, McKinnie
Questionable journeymen: Burks, Robinson, Lee
Unknown: Evans, Bowman, Poole, Paschall, Spellman, Smiley

The Warriors go from one of the oldest to one of the youngest teams while keeping their top 3 players, bring in several guys they know can play in the NBA all with a hard cap. I genuinely like this roster and am looking forward more to this year than last. Good job Myers.

I like the way you laid out your questionable and unknown list.

That is where we need to find the diamonds in the rough. I say that in the plural because I'm a positive guy. However we'd be lucky to get one.

If those guys can stay healthy and merely improve, we may have something.

I think Paschall is gonna be solid. I'm not even worried about him. But damn bro, get a neck in the off-season.

I love Poole's confidence, and I think we won't have to worry about him taking open shots. Like we did with some fools in the past.

Smiley's just to young right now. He will make tons of raw kid mistakes. They will find some games for him to get into, but they will be few and far between.

Spellman is a lock to help if he isn't as fat as John Candy (Look it up kids). Spellmans jp shot is for real. And he has a great understanding and feel for the game. He won't be having Damian Jones moments.

I doubt Bowman sees more than a few games with the big club.

Evans is gonna play, and I just hope he doesn't shrink. I would love to see a more vocal dude out there. He better shoot well, or he's gonna be limited minutes wise.

I've never been afraid of Burks, when we play against Burks. He just seems like a dude who isn't winning games. He doesn't seem to swing a game.

Robinson and Burks are very similar to me. He just doesnt move the needle for me. Now if dude shoots 40% from 3, then of course I'm his best new friend. He's extremely athletic when healthy, so hopefully that shows out in his play as well.

I'm pumped for Lee. I really feel like if shoots well early, and he keeps grabbing rebounds, then he's gonna break out. Dude is a legit shooter.

I'm a little more hopeful than you for Bowman and Robinson, and a little more pessimistic for Spellman and Lee. But the goal is the same ... develop and/or expose the players as soon as possible.

[Scoots1994]

Ever since the Warriors decided to become top heavy, the problem has always been the players surrounding Curry, Green, and Thompson. They need a rim protector/screen setter. They need another Iguodala. But what I find puzzling is that some people claim that the Warriors won't even be in the top 6 of the western conference, which I find baffling.

They want to finish outside the top 10 in the NBA to keep their pick. To do that they may need to finish as far down as 6th or 7th in the west.

[Scoots1994]

Pointless to look at things in hindsight, but Durant was going to leave. If they talked him into a trade to play with his buddy Kyrie on the Celtics. There was a chance Ainge would have done it.

The lineup this year would have been

Pg curry smart
Sg Thompson Evans/Poole
Sf Tatum iguodala
Pf green paschall
C cousins looney

Which looks a lot more reasonable.

That is fantasyland.

[Swift21]

I'm not going that far. But I am interested to see how some of these rookies develop.

[Samurai]

At full strength, our starting 5 looks excellent with 4 players who have been All Stars as recently as 2018 (Dray) and three of them played in the 2019 game. And a tandem of WCS/Looney could conceivably combine to provide a 20/12/4 center.

As others have correctly pointed out, the bench is full of question marks. If Burks stays healthy and provides the offensive spark, if GR3 can display that outstanding athleticism, if Poole can give us some of that Swaggy P "gunslinger" attitude and can hit the outside shot, if Evans does show progress in his game similar to the flashes he displayed in Summer League, if McKinnie can show some growth in his defense and more creativity on offense, and if Spellman is in good shape, then our bench could be enough to make this roster among the best we've had. But that's an awful lot of "ifs" to count on, too many for me to gamble on. It is more likely we have a great starting 5 come playoff time with too short of a bench to make it to the Finals.

[Scoots1994]

At full strength, our starting 5 looks excellent with 4 players who have been All Stars as recently as 2018 (Dray) and three of them played in the 2019 game. And a tandem of WCS/Looney could conceivably combine to provide a 20/12/4 center.

As others have correctly pointed out, the bench is full of question marks. If Burks stays healthy and provides the offensive spark, if GR3 can display that outstanding athleticism, if Poole can give us some of that Swaggy P "gunslinger" attitude and can hit the outside shot, if Evans does show progress in his game similar to the flashes he displayed in Summer League, if McKinnie can show some growth in his defense and more creativity on offense, and if Spellman is in good shape, then our bench could be enough to make this roster among the best we've had. But that's an awful lot of "ifs" to count on, too many for me to gamble on. It is more likely we have a great starting 5 come playoff time with too short of a bench to make it to the Finals.

We should also remember that KD being gone cleans up some mentality/personality issues around the team, and the new players coming in can refresh Curry/Klay/Green and get them playing at a higher level too.

I think the joy is being very under-rated by most non-Warriors fans.

[Jester_]

We would have beaten the Raptors and won the chip with a healthy Klay Thompson, and literally zero bench. I feel better about our bench this year than I have in a while tbh.

[Jerry Maine]

So long as Iguodala was on that bench we knew we had a rock solid sixth man, even if it was spare parts after that.

That said I'm hell excited to see what we can do as outsiders, I think Steph, Dray and a returned Klay are going to feel slighted by the claims the dynasty is over and have a red hot crack at it.

[SF_Warriors]

If they can pick up a couple of rotation bench guys before the playoffs we will be in business. I want them to succeed throughout, but with lacking depth and missing an all star, it may be tough for them early on.

[Samurai]

We would have beaten the Raptors and won the chip with a healthy Klay Thompson, and literally zero bench. I feel better about our bench this year than I have in a while tbh.

That is pretty debatable; we were about even with the Raps with a healthy Klay. I do think we would have beaten them with a healthy KD and a healthy Klay and literally zero bench. Not sure if our current full-strength starting lineup is as good as last season, but if DLo shines while fitting in seamlessly and WCS exceeds expectations, we could be pretty close.