| The roster
Almost as soon as the championship parade was over in June, the Warriors turned their attention to their offseason wish list, which included the hope that they could somehow find space within the budget to retain their two most important free-agent reserves, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston, and perhaps their most entertaining one, JaVale McGee. Keeping all three seemed like a long shot, but if there is anything we’ve learned by now, it’s that wishes do come true in Warriorland, so it shouldn’t be surprising that the three veterans are still in town.
Iguodala and Livingston will continue to provide the experience and defensive versatility that bring cohesiveness to the second unit. McGee will return to being one-third of the Warriors’
three-headed center, adding his alley-oop finishes to Zaza Pachulia’s sturdy screens and David West’s mid-range shooting and inside-out passing. Add last year’s second-round steal, defensive-minded guard Patrick McCaw, and most of the Warriors’ supporting cast will look familiar.
But there will be spots where Golden State will be different, and quite likely better. Matt Barnes and Ian Clark are gone, replaced by Omri Casspi and Nick Young, a pair of shooters who represent an offensive upgrade off the bench. Casspi, a 6-foot-9 small forward from Israel, has the threepoint range (36.7 percent over his eight-year career) to fit well into the Warriors’ offense.
Young, 31, a 6-foot-7 swingman who spent his last four seasons with the Lakers, could help even more, provided he can tone down his flamboyant style just a touch. In addition to contributing points off the bench (he has a career average of 12.0), Young, who was once engaged to singer Izzy Azalea, is the odds-on favorite to lead the team in appearances on TMZ. When Young’s signing was announced, GM Bob Myers made it clear that the Warriors won’t be referring to him by his “Swaggy P” handle, an indication that they will expect a more businesslike approach.
Barring injury, there doesn’t figure to be much playing time available for a pair of intriguing young big men, 7-foot center Damian Jones and 6-foot-9 forward Jordan Bell. The Warriors would love to have one or both of them develop enough to eventually replace Pachulia or West. It’s unlikely that wish will be granted this season, but even if it doesn’t, the Warriors’ wish for an even better bench than last year seems like it just may come true.
Most of the Warriors’ supporting cast will look familiar. But there will be spots where Golden State will be different, and quite likely better.