Community Shootaround: Warriors’ Outlook

Stephen Curry has been saying all the right things this summer.

Curry remains upbeat about the Warriors’ prospects for the upcoming season despite Kevin Durant‘s departure to the Nets, Klay Thompson‘s knee injury and the loss of numerous other rotation players, including Andre Iguodala (trade) and Shaun Livingston (waived).

“It’s just a change in dynamic all the way around,” Curry said this month. “We’re excited about the opportunities, the challenges for the whole roster, because we’ve got a lot of guys that have the opportunity to really prove themselves and make a difference in our team. Obviously our core, ’til Klay gets back, we know how to win and we know how to play. We’re just going to do it a little differently.”

It’s uncertain if and when Thompson will return from his ACL injury. Most likely it will be after the All-Star break and the Warriors will certainly take a cautious approach with an All-Star who just signed a $190MM contract.

D’Angelo Russell was the team’s big offseason acquisition and it remains to be seen how he’ll mesh with Curry while playing off the ball. What they’ll do with Russell once Thompson is healthy enough to play is another major question mark.

The Warriors should have a decent one-two punch defensively at center with Kevon Looney and another off-season addition, Willie Cauley-Stein.

The remainder of the roster is dotted with young, unproven players and a couple of others trying to revive their careers. Their backup shooting guard options include Alec Burks, Jacob Evans and Jordan PooleAlfonzo McKinnie, Glenn Robinson III, and two-way player Damion Lee are the main contenders at small forward while Omari Spellman, Alen Smailagic and Eric Paschall are the other big man reserves.

Hardly an imposing lot. The good news is that the trio of Curry, Russell and Draymond Green — provided he’s motivated and stays in top shape — are better than the top three players on most other rosters. Additionally, Steve Kerr is one of the top coaches in the league and will be out to prove he can maximize the talent he has on the roster.

That brings us to our question of the day: Will the Warriors make the playoffs during the upcoming season? If so, what is their postseason ceiling?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

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