With their roster from last season's championship still intact and the addition of several free-agents, the Golden State Warriors remain as the favorites to win it all in the coming season. The Warriors signed superstar Stephen Curry to the league’s first supermax deal – a five-year contract worth $201 million – and Kevin Durant to a two-year deal worth $53 million, $9 million less from what he can demand from Golden State.
Durant’s generosity helped the Warriors keep key reserves Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, JaVale McGee and David West. Iguodala signed a three-year, $48 million deal, Livingston inked a three-year pact worth $24 million while West and McGee agreed to veteran minimum deals.
The Warriors also added Nick Young and Omri Casspi from the free-agent market, further bolstering the line-up for their title defense in the coming season. However, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report expressed some concerns about the Warriors as they head into training camp next week in preparation for their campaign to win back-to-back titles.
Warriors need youngsters who can step up
Based on the Warriors depth chart projected by ESPN, power forward Draymond Green is the most experienced young player at age 27 with five seasons across his name while their other young members saw limited playing time in the past years. This problem could hit the Warriors in the long run as they need their young players -- Patrick McCaw, Damian Jones, Kevon Looney, and rookie Jordan Bell – to step up in case their superstars falter or get injured.
Can anyone compete with Warriors?
Another question raised by Buckley involves the competition. Some teams have beefed up their lineups in the offseason to be able to compete with the Warriors. Buckley said the Houston Rockets now own the best backcourt in league with the acquisition of Chris Paul from the Los Angeles Clippers while the Oklahoma City Thunder are a threat with the partnership of Russell Westbrook and Paul George.
The Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers remain as the biggest threats to the Warriors in the East.
Complacency is the biggest challenge
In a previous interview with Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said complacency is the biggest challenge that his team is facing when it goes for a second straight crown.
After winning the title in 2014-15 season, the Warriors set a new record regarding wins in the regular season with 73 the following season. However, they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.
