Golden State Warriors: A new era is set to begin in San Francisco

The Golden State Warriors will sport a very different roster when they take the court for the first time in their return to San Francisco this fall.

The Golden State Warriors are, by pretty much all standards, one of the most dominant and successful dynasties in the history of major American sports. And just like any good dynasty, their opposition always cheers for their downfall.

Players leave and changes are made, but the sign of any good dynasty comes through the team’s ability to reload and retool. No dynasty lasts forever — no ensemble of players and coaches can remain together for the long-haul, not in today’s world of sports.

That’s why it’s imperative that franchises take the good with the bad and make the best out of the worst of situations. The Warriors are proving that they have the ability to do just that.

When the Warriors make their triumphant return to San Francisco this fall, we will be looking at a very different collection of players. Sure the core of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson is still intact, but the rest of the roster has essentially been uprooted around them.

There will be no Thompson as he rehabs from a torn ACL suffered in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Veteran mainstays like Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston appear to have been left behind in this roster overhaul.

Promising big man Kevon Looney may not return as it will take some major cap manipulation to keep him around for the future. And young point guard Quinn Cook has even drawn interest from other teams which could spell the end of his two-year tenure with Golden State.

In their places will be new faces — some recognizable figures and others unknown commodities. Either way, they will be new to the Warriors organization.

More from Golden State Warriors

• Warriors unlikely to draft Anthony Edwards due to character concerns
• Warriors: September minicamp mimics NBA bubble
• Warriors: Eric Paschall named to NBA All-Rookie first team
• Warriors reportedly eyeing a wing in the 2020 NBA Draft
• Warriors: Is the team destined to trade its No. 2 overall draft pick?

D’Angelo Russell will be one of the primary new players for head coach Steve Kerr to play with. Russell is one of the brightest, young players in the league who — despite playing on his third NBA team — is just 23-years-old.

After floundering with the Los Angeles Lakers, Russell broke out this past season with the Brooklyn Nets securing his first All-Star bid. He will now have the chance to further establish his place among the NBA’s best with a historically great Warriors offense.

However, the addition of Russell could bring a new element to the Warriors offense.

Golden State has primarily relied on ball movement and quick, clean passing throughout Kerr’s tenure as head coach. Aptly speaking, their use of the pick-and-roll has been limited, to say the least.

More from Golden Gate Sports

• Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
• 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
• Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of Wild Card round with late-inning drama
• 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
• 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve

But Russell has been the king of the pick-and-roll over the past couple of seasons. Only newly-signed Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker recorded more pick-and-rolls this past season while the Warriors ranked last in the NBA in pick-and-roll frequency.

Perhaps Kerr adapts the Warriors offense to better suit Russell’s game giving Golden State a significantly different feel on the offensive end of the floor. Or perhaps Russell is forced to adapt to the already established Warriors offense.

Either way, we will see a shift in the focus of the offense one way or another.

On top of that, expecting a similar defensive output seems foolish. With Thompson out for the majority of the season, Iguodala traded away to the Memphis Grizzlies, and Looney looking doubtful to return, some of the Warriors top defenders will all be gone next season.

Green is still there but he alone cannot propel to Warriors to a top-15 defense. It will be interesting to see what depth signings the Warriors make — particularly at the wing and with their bigs — as they search for cheap, defensive-minded role players.

Ultimately, the main core may still be intact. But this upcoming season, the Warriors may be unrecognizable outside of Curry and Green. A new era is set to begin in San Francisco — but the dynasty that was built from the original core is here to stay.

The Warriors are far from done, they simply reloaded.