The Golden State Warriors have been able to hold all the important props from the pre-season.Is that why they are the clear top favourite for the title again, or were they able to catch up with Western competitors?The off-season of the Warriors in analysis.
All important rotation players could be held.On the very first day of the Free Agency, Stephen Curry sent a signal and extended it by five years and 201 million dollars) to the maximum.Kevin Durant joined shortly afterwards, renounced, in contrast to the two-time MVP, around 9 million dollars and signed a two-year contract (51.25 million) with a player option on last year.
Zaza Pachulia (1 year, 3.5 million), Shaun Livingston (3 years, 23.7 million) and David West (1 year, 2.3 million) were further important role-players.Andre Iguodala was aggressively wooed by the Houston Rockets, but then decided to stay and will earn 48 million in the next three years.A lot of money for a 33-year-old, but also a concession for the final MVP of 2015, which has in the past made many sacrifices.
In addition, JaVale McGee Backup Center has been retained for at least another year.Only for Guard Ian Clark there was no more money.The 26-year-old joined the New Orleans Pelicans instead.James Michael McAdoo’s services were also no longer valued, he hired with the Philadelphia 76ers.Matt Barnes, brought in shortly before the 2017 playoffs for the Durant injury, is still without a new team.
In addition to the seven contract renewals, there was also a little bit of fresh blood.Nick Young (lastly Los Angeles Lakers) was hired for the mid-level exception (5.2 million) for one year, plus Forward Omri Casspi was the minimum.Chris Boucher (Oregon) has been equipped with a two-way contract and will spend a lot of time in the G-League with the Santa Cruz Warriors.
Jordan Bell, whose criminal rights were secured by the Dubs of the Chicago Bulls, also comes from Oregon.The 38th.Pick might turn out to be a real steal, but in the Summer League he hinted at his potential with a rare 5×5 game.
What do you do with a team that only loses one match in the playoffs and becomes a sovereign champion?Right, they’re holding the chapel together.Bob Myers and his front office, with the exception of Clark, have succeeded.Players such as Durant, Iggy or McGee could have earned more from other teams, but decided to stay.
The Warriors also benefited from the market situation.Only a few teams had a lot of money on the edge to make Free Agents a lucrative offer.Either way, despite some players’ paycuts, the Dubs’ squad is incredibly expensive. 138 million dollars are paid by the franchise to its players, plus 41.3 million dollars in luxury tax.
With the forthcoming move to the new arena in San Francisco, however, this is accepted with pleasure, as potential sponsors are queuing up in line.The small, new advertising space on the jersey alone is expected to bring the franchise around 20 million per year.
With Swaggy P (career: 37.6 percent threesome) and Casspi (36.7 percent), the dubs also brought even more shooting into the squad.Young, in particular, was never to be left open by his opponents and last season even managed to break the 40 percent mark.
Many fans in the league may hope that the Dubs will also be able to benefit from Pat Riley’s well-known’ Disease for more’ theory.But already in the summer, several players decided to forego money, so this doesn’t seem realistic.The Warriors were already a team with few weaknesses last season, and not for nothing they were also historically good (second-best net rating in history).
It must therefore be searched for weak points with the needle in the haystack.Clearly, there is still little talent on the center position.Pachulia, McGee and the rest of the West’s leftovers don’t scare the Association.It is quite possible that DPoY Draymond Green will be used more and more later in the season.
Another unknown fact remains the health of Head Coach Steve Kerr.His back problems are known.The coach was missing the first 43 games of the season and eleven matches in the playoffs.Steve Kerr, however, asserted that he is still on the road to recovery.
nearby
Kevin Durant may have been voted final-MVP, but Stephen Curry is and remains the face of the franchise.It was he who crossed the deep valleys under head coach Don Nelson in his early years of the league.Apart from the owner group around Joe Lacob, no other name stands so much for the turnaround as Curry.
Last season, the double MVP tried to feed and integrate their new team-mate KD.Sometimes he struggled with himself before the joy returned later in the season.After all: 25.3 points and 6.6 assists were as good as three years ago in his first MVP season (23.8 points, 7.7 assists).
The coming season could be the focus of the boss’s attention again.The shame of 2016 has been wiped out, now the Guard can play it free again, as he was used to before.The chemistry with Durant should also only get better and better.Not that this is really necessary…
Whoever had expected that the Warriors would have to let go of at least one high performer was mistaken.Golden State will be celebrating basketball in its full glory in Oakland last year.Curry, Thompson, Green and Durant have four all-stars and probably two of the three best players on the planet in the squad.
Thus, the Warriors remain the top favourite for the third title in four years, despite the upgrades in the west of the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The owners also like to pay the luxurious luxury tax, which will continue to rise in the coming years.According to ESPN cap insider Bobby Mark’s tax payments could reach billions.Quality does not come for free.
The grade: 1+