Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors’ Projected Starting Five:
- Stephen Curry
- D’Angelo Russell
- Alfonzo McKinnie
- Draymond Green
- Kevon Looney
- Other Notable Players — Willie Cauley-Stein, Glenn Robinson III, Alec Burks, Jordan Poole, Omari Spellman
The Warriors will take on a drastically different look in 2019-20. Kevin Durant is gone, Klay Thompson will miss most (if not all) of the campaign, and D’Angelo Russell will join Stephen Curry in the backcourt. A lot has changed.
Much has been said about Russell’s fit in Golden State, but it should result in a net positive. Defensive woes aside, Russell gives the Warriors a much-needed scoring punch in the halfcourt. He’s a dynamic pick-and-roll guard who poses a serious pull-up threat. He’s not a bad facilitator either.
Russell can help shoulder the offensive burden in Klay’s absence, affording Curry more freedom to roam off-ball. While Curry ranks among the NBA’s most dynamic live-ball threats, he’s even more deadly off-ball — curling around screens, cutting to the rim and throwing the defense into chaos.
The drop-off for Draymond Green in recent seasons has been tangible, but he’s still a top-20 talent. He’s a top-three defensive presence at his peak, while his open-court playmaking, screen setting and the occasional spot-up triple all provide value.
On familiarity alone, Curry and Green should power Golden State to victories. Expect Russell, fresh off his first All-Star appearance, to find a comfortable spot on offense. How the backcourt holds up defensively is a valid question, but the frontcourt has more than enough talent to fill in the gaps.
Losing Andre Iguodala hurts, but Golden State has done a solid job restocking the second unit. Willie Cauley-Stein fits perfectly behind Kevon Looney, while Glenn Robinson, Alec Burks and Jordan Poole can all play.
The Sixers, in recent history, haven’t done well with dynamic backcourts. Curry and Russell are engineering to give them problems. Green doesn’t fit into many boxes either, which allows him to impact games almost universally. He can also defend Ben Simmons at a high level.
Last season, Golden State and Philadelphia split a hard-fought season series. My prediction for 2019-20 is the same. A series split.