STAYING: Ian Clark, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, James Michael McAdoo, Klay Thompson and Anderson Varejao.
ADDED: Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City), Damian Jones (Vanderbilt), Patrice McCaw (Nevada-Las Vegas), JaVale McGee (Dallas), Zaza Pachulia (Dallas), David West (San Antonio) and Elliot Williams (Panathinaikos).
GONE: Harrison Barnes (Dallas), Leandro Barbosa (Phoenix), Andrew Bogut (Dallas), Festus Ezeli (Portland), Brandon Rush (Minnesota) and Marresse Speights (LA Clippers).
STRENGTHS: Perhaps the most talented roster ever assembled … One of the most devastating offensive machines the NBA has ever seen adds one of the most potent scorers of all time to the mix … How do you keep a team featuring the best shooter in history (Stephen Curry) and a four-time scoring champion (Kevin Durant) from torching you? … When Klay Thompson is your opponent’s No. 3 offensive option, you know you’re in for a long night … And of course, it’s not just about individual skill … Golden State is just a well-oiled machine … The ball movement and spacing have been mindbogglingly good the last two seasons … They can do damage shooting from the outside, driving to the basket or running the break … The Warriors have been just as good defensively as they’ve been on the offensive end, which makes them all the more terrifying … They have two Defensive Player of the Year candidates in Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green, who’s a rare combination of star/role player … Pretty athletic squad … Many players with great motor, which is a must for a team that plays with that pace … Excellent rebounding … Expect multiple blowouts, so the team’s superstars might get rest on a regular basis in fourth quarters … Probably too at the end of the regular season with a likely No. 1 seed locked up early.
WEAKNESSES: Overwhelming expectations may be too much to handle for some … Could they wilt under their weight? … Anything but a title will be a failure … They will have a target on their backs every night, especially those who just left Oklahoma City … Steve Kerr must make these awesome pieces fit … Curry, Thompson and Durant have always been low-maintenance stars, but you can’t discount potential chemistry problems … Everybody will have to sacrifice shots … They might miss Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli some … The Warriors lost some intimidation and athleticism down low, especially if JaVale McGee doesn’t stick around … What they gained in star power they lost in depth … Probably a good tradeoff, but it could hurt them in case of injury.
PREDICTION: 1st in the Pacific Division, 1st in the Western Conference.
SALARIES:
from HoopsHype http://ift.tt/2bBKhpI
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