You've Gotta Love Somebody, Why Not The Warriors?

 

The Current Warrior Team Might Be Better than Their First Championship Team, 2015-16

I'm not a basketball geek, one of those guys who can figure out exactly what exact thing is exactly missing on a team, who can throw around stats, can figure out what trade would be crucial, etc. I do have strong opinions and a pretty good memory. I am famous among my b-ball email thread comrades, for instance, for my disdain of Bob Cousy, as well as for the worst announcer of all time, Boston's Johnny Most (and my friend Bob has the tape to prove it.) What a homer, what a font of misjudgment! To me, Wilt is the best of all time and would continue to dominate today, Guy Rodgers is sorely underestimated by history (if only his shot hadn't been so flat,) Philadelphia basketball was the best in the early days of the league, and the all-time best 5 could still be Chamberlain, Big O, West, Michael (moving to small forward), and (probably wrongly here) Bird. So, as I say, my preferences are perhaps idiosyncratic. I now think, actually, that b-ball has made so much progress and has changed so much, with modern players on average so much better than the older guys, that all these discussions should be done by tranches in time, by decade. But, as I say, my claim not to be a b-ball genius is widely accepted among my friends.

But I do love a good game of basketball, and I love our modern Warriors. I started rooting for the Warriors shortly after they were founded in 1945, imitated in our back yard a shot I imagined Joe Fulks had, and we migrated together to the Bay Area. I got us season tickets starting in 1988 with the Don Nelson years, the Run TMC years, when our seats about 14 rows behind the basket cost $14 apiece – and they remain our family's team. You know how that goes. When the most modern era started with new ownership and Myers and Kerr and the gang, we didn't have to start paying attention. It had been our team for a very long time.

So, while I'm modest about my analytical capabilities, I count myself a dedicated fan, and thus entitled to opine. I felt that the Warriors of two years ago were unwatchable, but last year watchable again, and now this year, wow! It's time to make sure there are no conflicts with Warrior games! The Warriors have the best record in basketball, even before the return of Klay and Wiseman. That's amazing. This could actually be another championship team. What is the team like? To me, it feels the same as the 2014-15 Warriors.

Steph is undiminished and wiser, and Draymond is now at his peak, and I think Kerr is right when he says, Hall of Fame Draymond. The small forward position was filled in 2014-5 by my bête noire, Mr. Miss-Every-Important-Shot, Harrison Barnes. Instead, we have Andrew Wiggins, great defender, newly energized on offense, possible All Star, huge improvement. Missing, however, is center Andrew Bogut, excellent true center, Looney is excellent, but doesn't have the size to face Milwaukee (Greek Freak), Philly (Embiid), or even Phoenix (Ayton.) The Klay spot is filled temporarily by Jordan Poole, who used the last two years to learn, and is now excellent – he can really shoot, and he can really play.

When Klay gets back, the big 3's excellence is unabated. The three spot is improved. Looney is almost as good as Bogut was, better in some respects – he can score more, is more mobile, can't pass as well or pick as well, but does OK – it's just with opposing big men where the deficit is most felt. When Wiseman gets back, even though he's not as physically solid nor as experienced as Bogut was, he's a much better athlete and can protect the rim well. Comparing the starting 5 today with 2014-15; I'd say they are better. Comparing HB to Wigs, a lot better.

In 2014-15, I remember being astounded by the quality of the bench. Iguadala was the key to the second unit, knowing how to play, defense, one of best sixth men in history, Finals MVP. Who didn't love Mo Buckets, coming off the bench at 6'11” and hitting unerringly from about 18 feet? Barbosa playing five years younger, so effective and energetic, offense. Livingston, medical miracle, deadly in his turn-arounds at one or two special spots, also knows how to play, mature and smart. Smart team, experienced. Wonderful to watch.

But today's bench is amazingly strong, and interestingly, as in 2014-15, many of them come from years of neglect by other teams. The former Iguadala is better than today's, instead of having ten years in the league, has 17, amazingly effective even if past his sell-by date, but diminished and available only in spots. But Poole is better than anyone else in 2014-15 including Barbosa, GPII better than Livingston defensively and probably as good offensively and on the boards, Bjelica and Porter both at least as good as Mo Buckets defensively and on the boards and each can score at least as well, and they are better all around players. JTA (Oakland native whom I love) had no equivalence back then, and Damien Lee doesn't seem to have had an equivalence, either. Both can play 10-15 minutes with great energy, score, and defend. And, we haven't even mentioned the 19 year old Congo sensation, Jonathan Kuminga, who when he gets in a game seems capable of being a starter very soon. You just don't know how soon this flower will bloom – his talent is immense.

So, put together all the bench players and rate them, and maybe the old Iguadala would be the best of all of them, but the list of those who come next would probably be from today's bench.

So, in conclusion, I'm thinking that the 2014-15 Warriors were a championship team. It seems that this team today, capable of having the league's best record to date even before the return of Klay and Wiseman, even with Kuminga being so very young, has the better roster. And they are at least as good to watch. Injuries, illness, unexplained changes in effectiveness, sudden aging, and just plain luck will all have a say in the end result. But for now, I'm rating them better than 2014-15, and so, amazingly given the past two futile and lost years, they could go all the way.

2014-2015 Warriors

o.	Player	Pos	Ht	Wt	Birth Date		Exp	College
19	Leandro Barbosa	SG	6-3	194	November 28, 1982	br	11
40	Harrison Barnes	SF	6-8	225	May 30, 1992	us	2	UNC
12	Andrew Bogut	C	7-0	260	November 28, 1984	au	9	Utah
30	Stephen Curry	PG	6-2	185	March 14, 1988	us	5	Davidson
31	Festus Ezeli	C	6-11	255	October 21, 1989	ng	1	Vanderbilt
23	Draymond Green	PF	6-6	230	March 4, 1990	us	2	Michigan State
7	Justin Holiday	SG	6-6	180	April 5, 1989	us	1	Washington
9	Andre Iguodala	SF	6-6	215	January 28, 1984	us	10	Arizona
1	Ognjen Kuzmić	C	7-1	251	May 16, 1990	ba	1
10	David Lee	PF	6-9	245	April 29, 1983	us	9	Florida
34	Shaun Livingston	PG	6-7	192	September 11, 1985	us	9
20	James Michael McAdoo	PF	6-9	230	January 4, 1993	us	R	UNC
4	Brandon Rush	SG	6-6	220	July 7, 1985	us	6	Kansas
5	Marreese Speights	C	6-10	255	August 4, 1987	us	6	Florida
11	Klay Thompson	SG	6-6	215	February 8, 1990	us	3	Washington State

Current Warriors Roster

No.	Player	Pos	Ht	Wt	Birth Date		Exp	College
8	Nemanja Bjelica	C	6-10	234	May 9, 1988	rs	6
5	Kevon Looney	C	6-9	222	February 6, 1996	us	6	UCLA
0	Gary Payton II	PG	6-3	190	December 1, 1992	us	5	Oregon State
95	Juan Toscano-Anderson	SF	6-6	209	April 10, 1993	us	2	Marquette
30	Stephen Curry	PG	6-2	185	March 14, 1988	us	12	Davidson
22	Andrew Wiggins	SF	6-7	197	February 23, 1995	ca	7	Kansas
23	Draymond Green	PF	6-6	230	March 4, 1990	us	9	Michigan State
32	Otto Porter Jr.	PF	6-8	198	June 3, 1993	us	8	Georgetown
3	Jordan Poole	SG	6-4	194	June 19, 1999	us	2	Michigan
1	Damion Lee	SG	6-5	210	October 21, 1992	us	4	Drexel, Louisville
00	Jonathan Kuminga	SF	6-8	210	October 6, 2002	cd	R
4	Moses Moody	SG	6-6	205	May 31, 2002	us	R	Arkansas
9	Andre Iguodala	SF	6-6	215	January 28, 1984	us	17	Arizona
2	Chris Chiozza  (TW)	PG	5-11	175	November 21, 1995	us	3	Florida
21	Jeff Dowtin  (TW)	PG	6-3	185	May 10, 1997	us	R	Rhode Island
12	Quinndary Weatherspoon	SG	6-3	205	September 10, 1996	us	2	Mississippi State
	James Wiseman	C	7-0	240	March 31, 2001	us	1	Memphis
	Klay Thompson	SG	6-6	215	February 8, 1990	us	8	Washington State

Golden State Warriors Depth Chart

PG
SG
SF
PF
C

Starter	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
Stephen Curry	Gary Payton II	Chris Chiozza	Damion Lee	Jordan Poole
Jordan Poole	Damion Lee	Gary Payton II	Andrew Wiggins	Moses Moody
Andrew Wiggins	Andre Iguodala	Otto Porter Jr.	Damion Lee	Jordan Poole
Draymond Green	Otto Porter Jr.	Juan Toscano-Anderson	Jonathan Kuminga	Nemanja Bjelica
Kevon Looney	James Wiseman	Draymond Green	Nemanja Bjelica	Juan Toscano-Anderson

Budd Shenkin