After a reasonably subdued Media Day on the Chase Heart, the vibes are excessive. On the island of O’ahu, discovering peace and serenity isn’t troublesome.
However the Warriors aren’t right here for mai tais and luaus. They’ve an excessive amount of on their plate.
Golden State needs to implement extra construction into their offensive system, placing a middle-ground between organized chaos and extra set performs to characteristic youthful gamers. They wish to shoot extra 3s whereas determining life with out Klay Thompson. They wish to return to an elite protection and enhance in transition on each side of the ball. They wish to fold in three new veterans and maintain competitions for, doubtlessly, three spots within the beginning lineup — establishing what Steve Kerr calls a “feisty” id within the course of.
“Last year, we spent a lot of the year unable to find certain combinations that fit,” Kerr mentioned after the workforce’s first apply at BYU Hawaii. “The starting lineup is going to have to be dependent on the first five, but also the second five. I think we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
With how not often NBA groups, particularly the Warriors, apply through the season, coaching camp and the preseason is a serious level within the workforce’s growth. Golden State has 5 days in Hawaii, so not solely is their coaching camp to-do listing lengthy, it have to be expedited.
Steph Curry has mentioned repeatedly that he’s open to vary to the offensive system. A part of that is because of Thompson’s departure, but additionally the cruel actuality of ending tenth within the Western Convention final 12 months. The best way Golden State has performed for years might not maximize this roster’s strengths as a lot because it had previously; the personnel’s completely different.
“This feels like a new beginning for us in a lot of ways,” Kerr mentioned. “Last year felt like an extension of what we already knew. Part of that is the way that Steph and Klay had each been a part of our heart and soul…it’s a pretty dramatic change. So we have to turn that into a positive.”
In years previous, the Warriors had the benefit of uncommon continuity. Curry, Thompson and Draymond Inexperienced have been teammates for 12 years, and the remainder of the workforce orbited round them. They didn’t must reinvent themselves, solely tweak issues and make some further installations on high of what they have been already working.
This workforce, with Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski rising, and Kyle Anderson, De’Anthony Melton and Buddy Hield coming into the combination, requires extra experimenting.
Kuminga particularly is anticipated to be a focus. Exterior of Curry, he’s the workforce’s most pure scorer as a downhill risk and terror in transition. Pushing the tempo ought to assist him, and working extra set performs to place him in advantageous spots may juice the offense, too.
However Kuminga is likely one of the gamers mired in a contest for a beginning spot. Except the Warriors begin Draymond Inexperienced at heart, the spacing will get clunky with each Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins on the ground. Protection is a major precedence for Kerr, and Kuminga hasn’t all the time been essentially the most constant defender.
“It’s definitely more challenging because we’ve got new guys and everyone, of course, wants to start,” Kuminga mentioned. “It’s great, it’s actually great going at each other every day. That’s just going to give us that mentality of going out there and playing hard.”
Kuminga may be a participant to extend his 3-point capturing quantity. Podziemski has mentioned he needs to get upwards of eight triples up per sport — an admittedly formidable purpose. However Kerr hopes to empower him, in addition to Wiggins, Moses Moody and Melton, to let it fly.
“I want to be a high-volume 3-point shooting team,” Kerr mentioned. “I think that’s important for us. The big shift is Klay’s not here. So, we were fourth in the league in 3-point attempts last year, but Klay probably shot eight or 10 of them himself every game. So we’re going to have to fill that void, and that’s going to have to come from multiple people.”
Melton and Podziemski are within the combine to start out within the again courtroom subsequent to Curry. When requested what his very best backcourt associate could be, Curry mentioned he likes the choices the workforce has. Melton the defensive-minded ball hawk, Podziemski the connector who developed some chemistry beginning with Curry final 12 months, and Buddy Hield the brand new motion shooter.
Regardless of the combos, it’s clear the Warriors are dedicated to some shake-ups. Final 12 months, Curry mentioned you’ll be able to’t do the identical factor over and over and anticipate the identical outcomes. So, Golden State goes to check out some new appears to be like.
“I’ve said it plenty of times, we need to evolve,” Curry mentioned. “How we’re featuring the talent that we have on this team, this is the roster that we have and I think we have enough, just by putting guys in the right places, to be successful. And leveraging what’s worked with our system over the years. So there’s a fine balance there.”
It’ll be powerful to search out that steadiness in per week in Hawaii. However constructing the muse in paradise needs to be the beginning.
Notable
– Buddy Hield spent a lot of the primary apply interval open to the media capturing with assistant coach Chris DeMarco, who helped recruit him to the Warriors whereas he coached Hield on the Bahamian Nationwide Staff. Hield was the final participant capturing on the courtroom after apply wrapped up.
– Andrew Wiggins didn’t apply on Tuesday as a result of he was below the climate. Everybody else participated.
– Kyle Anderson’s retooled jumper appears to be like a lot better than it did final season, notably off the dribble. He’s by no means going to have a quick launch, however a extra fluid movement may assist him preserve defenses sincere from the surface; two seasons in the past, he shot a career-best 41% from deep on low-volume.
– Steph Curry introduced his Olympic gold medal to coaching camp. “I keep it on me,” he mentioned.
