Tag: Warriors Depth Chart

Projecting the Warriors depth chart before the start of the 2021-22 regular season

Before the NBA season opener, Warriors Wire projected how Golden State’s depth chart could look for the 2021-22 campaign.

On Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors will make their long-awaited return to the court in the 2021-22 season opener against LeBron James and the new-look Los Angeles Lakers.

While Steph Curry and Draymond Green will anchor the Warriors until the return of Klay Thompson, the rest of Golden State’s rotation will look slightly different from last season.

During the offseason, the Warriors added veterans Otto Porter Jr., Nemanja Bjelica and Andre Iguodala to fill out their roster. Golden State also brought in a pair of top prospects with Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody in the 2021 NBA draft.

With several new pieces set to play impactful roles, Warriors Wire projected how Golden State’s depth chart could shake out for the start of the 2021-22 NBA campaign.

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Projecting the Golden State Warriors depth chart for the 2020-21 season

Although Steph Curry will be back in his position at point guard, the rest of the Warriors’ depth chart could look different from the past.

As injuries ravaged the Golden State Warriors roster during the 2019-20 season, the only thing consistent about Steve Kerr’s starting rotation was inconsistency.

Although Klay Thompson will be sidelined for the 2020-21 season due to an Achilles injury, Steph Curry’s long-awaited return to Golden State’s starting point guard position should provide some much-needed stability.

However, the rotation around the two-time Most Valuable Player will look different from the last time Curry suited up for the Warriors. Curry and Draymond Green will have to get acclimated to playing alongside Kelly Oubre Jr., Andrew Wiggins and Golden State’s 2020 No. 2 overall draft pick James Wiseman.

While the new-look starting lineup will have to quickly build chemistry at the start of the season, Golden State’s second-unit will feature a cast of new faces.

Free-agent signings Kent Bazemore and Brad Wanamaker will pair with Damion Lee, Mychal Mulder and Warriors sophomore Jordan Poole as key pieces off the bench in the backcourt.

Veteran Kevon Looney will solidify Golden State’s frontline behind Wiseman with Marquese Chriss and Alen Smailagic.

After being named to the 2019-20 All-Rookie Team, standout Eric Paschall will likely play a featured role for Kerr off the bench in his second season.

Before the Warriors open the 2020-21 season against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, Dec. 22, here is a glimpse at what Golden State’s depth chart could look like.

Injury Report: Warriors will be without trio of players vs. Suns

Steve Kerr will be without three of his offensive ball-handling options against the Phoenix Suns.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson aren’t the only members of the Golden State Warriors dealing with injuries. The Warriors will be without three players against the Phoenix Suns, limiting their roster to only eight members.

Jordan Poole, Ky Bowman and Draymond Green will all be out against the Suns due to injury. Poole is dealing with a right ankle sprain that he suffered when rolling his ankle against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. The rookie has been flourishing as Golden State’s starting point guard over the past several games.

Another Warriors rookie sprained his right ankle when the Lakers were in San Francisco. Bowman went to the locker room with under two minutes remaining against the Lakers. An MRI revealed Bowman suffered a lateral ankle sprain that will be “monitored over the next few days,” according to the Warriors.

Outside of Golden State’s two backcourt rookies, the Warriors’ former Defensive Player of the Year will also be out against Devin Booker and the Suns. Green has only played 10 minutes in the Warriors’ last three contests. Green was ejected against the Lakers and missed the previous two games due to a pelvic contusion. Green will be out with left knee soreness against the Suns, his 15th game missed due to injury this season.

Without their trio of injured players, the Warriors will start Damion Lee, Andrew Wiggins, Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss against the Suns, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Building a new Warriors depth chart for Steph Curry’s return to the lineup

When Stephen Curry returns to the Golden State Warriors, he will have a new cast of teammates to familiarize himself with.

Stephen Curry is on the cusp of making his long-awaited return to the Golden State Warriors from injury. When his name is listed in the Warriors starting lineup for the first time since late October, he will have a bevy of new teammates.

General manager Bob Myers moved six players at the NBA trade deadline and has been busy filling Golden State’s roster since. The Warriors are rotating through a mixture of rookies, two-way contracts and 10-day deals to fill out the back end of their rotation.

Curry’s final game before getting injured against the Suns, the Warriors started Draymond Green, Eric Paschall, Glenn Robinson III and D’Angelo Russell. Omari Spellman, Willie Cauley-Stein and Alec Burks all played double-digit minutes off the bench, with Marquese Chriss receiving a DNP coach’s decision.

Only seven players from the night of Curry’s injury are still in Golden State. When the two-time Most Valuable Player makes his anticipated return, he will have to familiarize himself with a new cast of teammates.

Here is a projected look at what Golden State’s depth chart could look like once Curry is healthy.

PG: Stephen Curry — Jordan Poole — Ky Bowman

SG: Damion Lee — Jordan Poole — Mychal Mulder (10-day contract)

SF: Andrew Wiggins — Eric Paschall — Juan Toscano-Anderson

PF: Draymond Green — Eric Paschall — Alen Smailagic 

C: Marquese Chriss — Kevon Looney — Dragan Bender (10-day contract) 

Curry will have the challenge of adapting to his surgically repaired hand while making new adjustments to his teammates. If the six-time All-Star returns on the reported target date of March 1 against the Washington Wizards, Curry will have 22 games remaining in the 2019-20 season to build chemistry within the new-look Warriors.

Eric Paschall on Marquese Chriss: ‘He was a lottery pick for a reason’

After a double-double against the Sacramento Kings, Eric Paschall had high praise for Marquese Chriss.

March 1 has become the most anticipated day in the 2019-20 season for the Golden State Warriors — the target date of Stephen Curry’s return from injury. However, in the meantime, another member of the Warriors has quietly burst onto the scene.

Since the Warriors traded Willie Cauley-Stein to the Dallas Mavericks, Marquese Chriss has taken over the starting center position and hasn’t let it go.

In 11 games, Chriss is averaging 14.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in 25.7 minutes per game. The Washington Huskies product is shooting 63.4 % from the field while recording two double-doubles in that span.

Golden State’s rookie forward Eric Paschall spoke to reporters about how Chriss has proven he belongs with the Warriors.

Via Warriors SoundCloud:

I feel like Marquese actually proved that awhile ago. We wanted him back for a reason, and I feel like he plays his butt off and does all the right things. I feel like Marquese has definitely proved himself even before this. I’m very happy for him. I feel like he just continues to get better every day.

In the Warriors recent game against the Sacramento Kings, Chriss tallied 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting with 10 rebounds in 25 minutes. Following
Golden State’s previous game against the Kings on January 6, Chriss was waived to open a roster spot for Damion Lee. The Warriors were able to bring back Chriss on a two-way contract a week later, and now he’s on a two-year full-time deal with Golden State.

Paschall spoke about the moment Chriss was waived and how far he’s come with the Warriors.

Of course, it sucked. A guy like that who works so hard, had a real good training camp, played real well in the games and we just couldn’t keep him. But, hearing that he came back, it brought joy to everybody because we saw how good he was, we saw the potential. He was a lottery pick for a reason, and I feel like he’s showing that for sure now.

The former Phoenix Suns lottery pick has earned the starting center position for the remainder of this season. Though, if he continues to build off his solid play, Chriss could be in line for a more significant role once Curry and Klay Thompson return healthy next year.