Sports
Projecting Warriors' Depth Chart, Rotation After 2023 NBA Free Agency – Bleacher Report
As the Golden State Warriors prepare to exit the 2023 NBA offseason, they appear both familiar and unrecognizable.
The championship core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Steve Kerr and the often underappreciated Kevon Looney is still in place. But former front office head Bob Myers is gone. So is Jordan Poole, who was sent packing (along with a package of picks and prospects) for longtime Warriors’ nemesis, Chris Paul.
The Dubs may have a similar feel to them as last season, but Paul’s addition creates a new wrinkle no one saw coming—and no one will truly figure out until this team hits the hardwood. Still, with the roster tweaks largely taken care of, it’s an appropriate time to assess what they have and project how Kerr will handle his depth chart.
Point guard: Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Cory Joseph
Shooting guard: Klay Thompson, Gary Payton II, Brandin Podziemski
Small forward: Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody
Power forward: Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga
Center: Kevon Looney, Dario Šarić, Trayce Jackson-Davis
Starters: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson
While Paul could be less than thrilled with this projection, the Splash Brothers remain the most logical choices to start in the backcourt.
The seamless fit of Curry and Thompson—the greatest shooting guard combo ever assembled—is well-documented and has proven to be a championship combination four times over. Keeping them in the guard spots also allows Golden State to put more size—and defensive resistance—in the frontcourt.
Reserves: Chris Paul, Gary Payton II, Cory Joseph, Brandin Podziemski
While there will be times in which Curry and Paul are deployed together, the biggest lift Paul can provide is holding things together when Curry needs a breather. The non-Curry minutes have long been a challenge for Golden State. This past season, the Dubs were 8.1 points worse per 100 possessions with Curry off the floor, per NBA.com.
Outside of the Splash Brothers and Paul, the only guard likely to handle nightly minutes is Payton, who has found his niche as a tenacious defender and steady finisher at the rim. Joseph can run the offense when needed, but he might only be called upon to cover any absences of the point guards in front of him (which could be many with Curry and Paul both on the wrong side of 35).
Podziemski, this summer’s No. 19 pick, will probably need a strong training camp—or, more likely, a really good stretch in the G League—to see anything more than mop-up duty. He could potentially help this offense as a shot-maker and secondary creator, but the athletic challenges ahead of him are steep.
Starters: Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney
No matter how Kerr sets his backcourt, Wiggins and Green are locks up front. Should Golden State opt to go small and start Paul, though, that would slide Looney to the bench.
It might be an interesting wrinkle to tinker with in the regular season and potentially deploy in certain playoff matchups, but Kerr should be cautious about cutting into Looney’s floor time. His rebounding, screen-setting and paint protection are all quietly key elements of Golden State’s winning formula.
Reserves: Moses Moody, Dario Šarić, Jonathan Kuminga, Trayce Jackson-Davis
Moody could see action at the 2, 3 and 4 spots, but regardless of where he plays, the point is that he will—maybe a lot. It has perhaps taken a tad longer than expected for him to force his way into the regular rotation, but he gave Golden State good minutes in the playoffs and boosted his stock in the process.
Šarić looks like a hand-in-glove fit for this system, so much so that by midseason folks might swear he’s been a Warrior all along. Kuminga’s role is, as always, tricky to pin down, but if Kerr thinks the young swingman is ready, the Dubs could really use his explosive athleticism and defensive versatility.
Finally, don’t rule out the possibility of Jackson-Davis finding his way into a semi-regular role. The Warriors gave the rookie second-rounder a four-year contract for a reason. If he’s ready for NBA minutes, he’d give this center rotation a different dimension as an athletic rim-runner.