Sports Illustrated - 21.10.2019

*NEW ACQUISITION \ †OUT UNTIL SPRING

It just depends on

KLAY THOMPSON. If he only

misses half the season

and comes back, with

the championship DNA

they have, anything

can happen....

D’ANGELO RUSSELL has

proved he can score;

he’s just not the

defender Klay is, and

that’ll be noticeable.

We’ll see how Russell

adapts to their ball

movement and cutting-

based system, where

you have to know

how to do things off

the ball.Maybe Steve

Kerr will gear things

in his direction and let

him run more pick-

and-roll. The last few

years they’ve run

less than anyone in

the league.... In the

playoffs STEPH CURRY had

to do too much when

the other guys were

hurt. That wore him

down, and the other

teams could just focus

on him. If they feel like

they have a chance

to go for it, they’ll

probably load Steph

up again, but if the

season starts off rough,

I’d guess they’ll tone

down his minutes....

DRAYMOND GREEN’s assist

numbers may skyrocket

this year with Klay out

and Green playing off

these guys who can

really make shots....

KEVON LOONEY was a key

signing [at three years

for $15 million]. He’s

shown that he can be

trusted and productive

under pressure, and

bringing him back at

that price was a boon

for the team.... They

got a value deal with

WILLIE CAULEY-STEIN [t wo

years, $4.5 million].

He’s talented, but he’ll

have some issues

fitting into a system

where you have to know

how to play. They had

to just manufacture a

team that could stay

competitive.

Projected Lineup

Bench

It’s so easy to focus on what the

Warriors lost—Kevin Durant and

Andre Iguodala were among the

departures, and Klay Thompson will

miss much of the season with a torn

left ACL—that it can be tough to remember that

they still have the enduring brilliance of Stephen

Curry and Draymond Green, who had a 15.2 NET

RATING WHEN SHARING THE FLOOR last season.

Of course, that number was juiced by their high-

powered teammates, but it speaks to how well they

complement each other and the roles they play in

the Dubs’ success. Their contributions—setting

screens, commanding attention, unwavering

intensity—haven’t always been neatly measurable.

With Thompson out, this team, which will

struggle on D, isn’t a contender. They’ll try to hang

around the top half of the West until he returns

to help the postseason push, and that depends on

how far Steph and Dray can take them. People may

be surprised how great that distance is. —R.N.

15.2

TELLING NUMBER

ENEMY LINES

A rival scout weighs in

DRAYMOND

GREEN

7. 4 PPG; 7. 3 RPG;
   6.9 APG; 44.5 FG%

PG PF

STEPHEN

CURRY

27.3 PPG; 5.2 APG;

47.2 FG%; 43.7 3FG%

SG

D’ANGELO

RUSSELL*

21.1 PPG; 7. 0 APG;

43.4 FG%; 36.9 3FG%

SF

ALFONZO

MCKINNIE

4.7 PPG; 3.4 RPG;

48.7 FG%; 35.6 3FG%

C

KEVON

LOONEY

6.3 PPG; 5.2 RPG;

0.7 BPG; 62.5 FG%

Starters

SG

ALEC

BURKS

8.8 PPG; 3.7 RPG;

40.5 FG%; 36.3 3FG%

SG

KLAY

THOMPSON†

21.5 PPG; 3.8 RPG;

46.7 FG%; 40.2 3FG%

95

JOHN W. MCDONOUGH (CURRY)

GOLDEN STATE

2018 – 19 RECORD 57– 25 1st in Pacific

Wa r r iors COACH STEVE KERR 6th season with Warriors

∂48 wins ∂Lose in 1st round ∂Steph Curry will win his second scoring title.

THE

WEST

Crystal Ball: