Five burning questions that will define Warriors' season
The Warriors have barely a clue how they will look in their season opener Tuesday at Brooklyn and no idea whatsoever how they will feel.They’re such a mystery that whether they win or lose seven of their first 10 games, it will provide little insight about the 62 to come.With five new faces in the anticipated rotation – we consider Andrew Wiggins a new face – 2020-21 is the biggest experiment since Steve Kerr took over as coach in 2014. It’s reasonable to expect is – barring injury, of course – month-to-month improvement.Here are five burning questions, the answers of which will determine whether the Warriors are a dangerous playoff team or one that will struggle to finish at .500:
Curry will be atop the scouting report of every team the Warriors face. As he should be. He’s the hub of the offense and is able to burn opponents in multiple ways.
So, he’s going to see every defense known to basketball, from traps to zones, from bumps to junk, from grabs and holds to overloads.
Curry typically finds ways to make an impact. He’s unique insofar as he’s the rare point guard who routinely punishes opponents with his off-the-ball movement. He creates space by using screens and dribble handoffs, putting defenders through an obstacle course.
The presence of Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson were of immense help to Curry. They’re not around and their replacements, Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre Jr., lack All-Star credentials.
If Curry can beat the traffic, he’ll shoot his way into the MVP race and pull the Warriors into the postseason. If he can’t, the offense will sputter, particularly in the half court.
Draymond’s defense during the golden years was the touchstone his teammates strived to meet, and usually did. When he replaced David Lee as the starting power forward in 2014-15, the team’s defensive rating rose from fourth to first.
The Warriors ranked fifth the next season, second the season after that, 11th in 2017-18 and 13th in 2018-19. They were 26th last season.
Murmurs of Draymond’s decline have made the rounds for at least a year. He missed 20 games last season and rarely met his standard when he did play. There is little doubt his effectiveness was hampered by five long seasons during which physical mismatches forced him to absorb more punishment than anyone in the NBA.
He says he is rejuvenated, that his body feels better than it has in years. He has heard the murmurs. He also has shown the ability to make doubters swallow their words.
If he plays at All-Defensive team level, and his teammates take the cue, the Warriors will meet Kerr’s goal of being a top-10 defense and almost certainly will reach the playoffs. If not, they have no more than a 50-50 chance to play beyond the play-in tournament beginning May 18.
He is 19 years old, played three games in college and has participated in three NBA scrimmages. Yet he is as pivotal to this team’s season as anyone not named Steph or Draymond.
That’s because, standing 7-foot-1 with a wingspan of 7-foot-6, Wiseman is singularly able to vertically command the paint. Former NBA great Penny Hardaway, who coached the center at Memphis, says he can make an immediate impact on defense.
The Warriors, after observing Wiseman work both ends for barely one week, are making a valiant effort to avoid giggling and dancing and singing.
Though Kevon Looney and Marquese Chriss can provide competent minutes at center, neither has the gravity of Wiseman. That Kerr would not rule him out as a starter on Opening Night implies the Warriors are believers.
If Wiseman is in the Rookie of the Year race, he’ll make his postseason debut in May. Anything more, and nobody will want to see the Warriors in the second season.
They’re going to need to the combo forward to play quality defense and, on offense, look like someone who can at least approach the border of All-Star consideration.
That means averaging 22-24 points per game, with shooting percentages in the high-30s from deep and the mid-40s overall. Playing with Curry, Wiggins should get more open looks on any given night than he had in any given month with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
This also means a dozen or so games where he scores more than 30 points and at least as many when he leads the team in scoring – even as Curry remains potent.
If Wiggins plays acceptable defense, meaning he’s not serially abused, the team defense gets a lift. If he is that second scorer, as Thompson became in 2013-14, he’ll keep defenses honest and give Curry room to breathe.
It’s a lot to ask of Wiggins, but failure at either end puts the Warriors in awful bind. Success puts them in the playoffs.
The Warriors during the glory years had one of the league’s most reliable benches. They didn’t have a big scorer – no one along the lines of a Lou Williams, a Jamal Crawford or an Eric Gordon – but they played smart defense and made opposing defenders hustle.
That’s too much to expect of the current bunch, featuring veterans new to the team and youngsters trying to prove they can make a difference.
Though the addition of a veteran wing, Kent Bazemore, and a veteran point guard, Brad Wanamaker, provides automatic leadership, the effectiveness of this group will be dictated by the likes of Eric Paschall, Damion Lee, Jordan Poole, Mychal Mulder and Chriss.
At least two these guys must be positive contributors.
Success or failure depends on whether the bench can hold its own, mostly against opposing second units, when Curry is off the floor.
If they can’t, leads will evaporate like drips of water on a hot sidewalk. If they can, the Warriors will be more dangerous than most observers expect.
