Questions as the champs take center stage

With championship core intact, season’s real drama will come off court

OAKLAND » The circus-like atmosphere will soon surround the Warriors everywhere they turn.

Before the attention centers on Stephen Curry’s long distance heaves, Kevin Durant’s talent and villainous persona and Draymond Green’s versatility with his game and mouth, the focus will first start on Friday for Warriors’ media day at their practice facility.

There, the Warriors will pose for pictures, film endless promotional spots and answer countless questions. Below are pressing issues the Warriors will have to answer in the 2017-18 season. 1. ARE THE WARRIORS UNSTOPPABLE? » To the Warriors’ delight and to the frustration of their opponents, ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy echoed the thoughts of many around the league surrounding Golden State’s chances of winning back- to- back championships. “The Warriors are gonna win forever if everything stays the same,” Van Gundy recently told Sirius XM.

For all the high profile moves the Rockets (Chris Paul), Oklahoma City (Paul George) and Boston (Gordon Hayward, Kyrie Irving), few around the league think it’s enough to address this reality. The Warriors re-signed key pieces of their championship roster (Curry, Durant, Andre Iguodala).

That might not be enough for the Warriors to break their NBA-record 73-win season set in 201617. Then again, the Warriors have higher aspira- tions in winning their second title in three years. And barring an injury, it appears unlikely anyone can account for the Warriors’ top-ranked outside shooting, defense and depth. 2. HOW DO THE WARRIORS STAY MOTIVATED? » Injuries aside, Golden State’s potentially biggest weakness could involve its own engagement level. After all, why get excited for a forgettable game in January when an intense NBA Finals game likely awaits in June?

That creates an interesting challenge to Warriors coach Steve Kerr and the players. On one hand, the Warriors will want to pace themselves so they have enough energy and health to cross the finish line. On the other, Golden State will have to do so without compromising habits and momentum.

So while Kerr will likely find optimal times to reduce practice times and rest players, he also likely will find different challenges to keep his team motivated. 3. WILL THE SAME PECKING ORDER EXIST AMONG THE STARS? » For a team culture set on sharing the ball and diminishing the importance of individual achievements, the Warriors may not become concerned about this topic. For a league fixated on star power, however, this could become a theme as the Warriors dominate their opponents as expected.

Will a definitive star emerge among Curry, Durant, Green, Klay Thompson and Iguodala? Or will that play out on every possession as each player trades baskets?

Two years ago, Curry became the team’s definitive star as he won the NBA’s unanimous regular- season MVP as he made seemingly every shot from every angle. A healthy deference played out between Curry and Durant at the beginning of last season, before Curry became more aggressive to shoot and Durant became more aggressive to dominate in the Finals. So while the Warriors may not become consumed with their stats, it could become a healthy puzzle on how to keep their well-oiled engine running the smoothest. 4. WILL THEWARRIORS’ NEW ARRIVALS HELP? » Golden State did not need to stockpile its roster full of stars. It already has them. They still improved this offseason by filling positional needs with secondary scoring (veterans Nick Young, Omri Casspi) and frontcourt depth (rookie Jordan Bell).

Young and Casspi will provide enough outside shooting that the Splash Brothers do not need to drench their opponents all the time. Bell could prove a nice insurance policy for whenever Green draws too many whistles. While Young will add a joyful personality to a joyful atmo- sphere, all three could keep things fresh by playing well enough to give their more established teammates rest. 5. WHAT AWAITS? » The Warriors will spark enough attention with their play alone. It seems inevitable, though, they will remain in the conversation because of other things too.

Will past NBA legends continuously tout their superiority over the current Warriors in imaginary games? Will Durant continue to receive scorn for leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder? Will Green receive the scorn from opponents and officials alike? Will the league penalize the Warriors anytime Kerr rests his top guys? Will the Warriors officially decline any White House visit?

It seems likely all these plot lines play out. The Warriors feature plenty of actors, though, that have thrived standing on center stage.