The Golden State Warriors’ entire team will look very different when they take the floor this fall. But how different should we expect the offense to look?
TheGolden State Warriors‘ roster underwent a massive amount of changes this season with a near 70% roster turnover rate. While the core starters are still together — minusKevin Durant— the team should still look very different come the fall.
The various new faces will likely lead to some changes with how the team is run. But while the Warriors’ defense has been talked about as a clear point of emphasis, little has been said about how the offense could change.
Of course,Stephen Currywill still be the focal point of the offense andDraymond Greenwill continue to be a contributor in the frontcourt. But with Durant gone andKlay Thompsonout for most of the season, might we see a slight change with new personnel?
Head coachSteve Kerrwill still be deploying his movement-based offense that the Warriors have perfected over the years. But we could be seeing some different approaches to compliment the off-ball movement.
The acquisition ofD’Angelo Russellin the offseason led many critics questioning how the 23-year-old all-star would fit in Golden State’s offense. After all, Russell was the primary ball-handler while with Brooklyn but he clearly wasn’t going to fill that role with the Warriors.
Russell is expected to start at shooting guard but will likely see some time at point guard with the second unit. But we should expect to see more of a catch-and-shoot approach to his offensive game than we’ve seen before.
Interestingly enough, Russell did make acareer-high 39.4% of his catch-and-shoot threeslast season even though that wasn’t his primary responsibility. Expect him to do quite a bit of that with Golden State.
But expect elements of his game to absolutely make their way into Golden State’s offense.
Russell is one of the best pick-and-roll guards in the league and he was the primary ballhandler onalmost as many pick-and-rolls (920) as the Warriors ran as a team (995)last year.
Kerr seemed to indicate that the Warriors would incorporate more pick-and-roll in their offense in an interview with Monte Poole of NBC Sports earlier this week.
"“I’m anxious to get started with him and see how he’s going to play with Steph. We’ll probably run more pick-and-roll than we have in the past, given our change in personnel. But, I’m really excited to have him on board and can’t wait to coach him.”"
That “change in personnel” isn’t only referring to Russell, however. The addition of Sacramento Kings castoffWillie Cauley-Steincould also signal a partial change in offensive scheme.
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Cauley-Stein excelled in the pick-and-roll game while with the Kings and was the roll man on3.2 pick-and-roll possessions per game last seasonwhich ranked in the top-20 in the NBA.
The combination of Russell and Cauley-Stein could see the Warriors employ the pick-and-roll game much more than in the past. But it’s not the only change we might see.
One issue the Warriors could face earlier in the season — before Thompson’s return — is with their floor spacing.
Whereas the team last season had five starters on the floor who could feasibly shoot the three-ball — perhaps excluding Green — this year’s team could run into some issues with that. The Warriors backcourt remains fine in that area, but their frontcourt could be cause for concern.
Gone isDeMarcus Cousinsand neither Cauley-Stein orKevon Looneyoffer much in terms of an outside shot. Atlanta Hawks castoffOmari Spellmandoes offer a bit more promise in that area, but it remains to be seen how many minutes he will receive.
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And with Green shooting a career-low 28.5% from long-range last season, the Warriors don’t really have a true outside threat with their starting bigs. And it’s not as if projected starting small forwardAlfonzo McKinnieis anything special from deep either — certainly not at the level of Durant.
The bench is more promising, but don’t expect the same level of floor spacing from the Warriors’ starters this season. They just don’t have the shooters to command respect from opposing defenders.
As weird as that may be to say about the Warriors, it’s true.
Again, they’ll still have Curry. They’ll still be running Kerr’s system. But the offense is set to look pretty different than what we’ve seen in recent years — at least until Thompson returns.
Obviously, the main focus will be on whether the Warriors’ defense could perform well enough to keep the team competitive for the time being. But the expected offensive changes are not something that should be overlooked.
Even if the core of the team’s offensive system is still in place.
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