Golden State Warriors season preview, roster and schedule 2018: Favorites again

Offseason Recap

Arrivals: Nick Young, Omri Casspi, Jordan Bell, Chris Boucher, Georges Niang, Michael Gbinije

Departures: Matt Barnes, Ian Clark, James McAdoo

The Warriors’ offseason was a rousing success. They accomplished their main goal, which was to keep the core of their championship-winning team intact. Stephen Curry got his $200 million maximum deal as expected, while Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston also got fairly paid. Better yet, they got a discount from Kevin Durant, allowing the Dubs to re-sign one of the top players in the league at below market value.

The Warriors were able to bring back essentially the same frontcourt from last year as Zaza Pachulia, JaVale McGee, and David West all re-signed for the veteran's minimum. Meanwhile, they got three potentially productive pieces in Nick Young, Omri Casspi, and Jordan Bell, who should add to what was already a very deep team that will once again be the overwhelming favorite this upcoming season.

Projected Depth Chart

C – Zaza Pachulia / JaVale McGee / Damian Jones

PF – Draymond Green / David West / Jordan Bell / Kevon Looney

SF – Kevin Durant / Andre Iguodala / Omri Casspi

SG – Klay Thompson / Nick Young / Patrick McCaw

PG – Stephen Curry / Shaun Livingston

Strengths

Seeing as how they finished with (by far) the best offense in the league and the second-best defense during the regular season, and had one of the greatest playoff runs ever (20-1) en route to winning the championship, it’s safe to say this Warriors team does a lot of things well.

The Dubs already had a fairly easy time putting up points, and that was before signing one of the greatest scorers ever in Durant, who has become an uber-efficient scoring monster in their system. Their spacing is impeccable, they can shoot the lights out, they’re deadly on the fast break and they share the ball. When they’re on, they’re basically unguardable.

And as good as the Warriors are on offense, they’re perhaps just as good or better on defense when completely locked in. Not only do they have reigning Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green anchoring that defense, they also have a seven-foot freak in Durant who’s also transformed into a top rim protector in their “small” lineups. It really is unfair.

Apart from that, the Dubs also have strong team chemistry, impressive depth, and an outstanding head coach in Steve Kerr, so good for them.

Weaknesses

As great as the Warriors are, they're not perfect. They had the second-worst defensive rebounding rate in the league last season, and can get bullied on the offensive glass. They can also get a bit careless with the basketball and commit unforced turnovers.

And of course, there's also the potential for complacency. This will now be the fourth year of their magnificent run, and after they thoroughly dominated the competition in the playoffs in 2017, they could just decide to take the foot off the gas during the regular season and simply wait to turn it on in the postseason.

Player to Watch – Nick Young

Golden State were so good last season that they made a productive rotation player out of JaVale McGee. And now, McGee’s old buddy Nick Young is in line to get the same treatment this year after coming over from the Lakers. 

Young has been much maligned throughout his career as a gunner without a conscience, which probably won’t fly in the unselfish Warriors system. But the Warriors have a knack of minimizing a player’s weaknesses and accentuating his strengths. If Young can curb his worst tendencies and hone in on what he’s good at, which is shooting, then he should get some consistent playing time for the Dubs this season.

Of course, Swaggy P 's still bound to do some typical Swaggy P things, and his antics will be worth watching in what should be a fairly nondescript regular season for the Warriors.

2017/18 Schedule

Oct 17 vs Houston

Oct 20 at New Orleans

Oct 21 at Memphis

Oct 23 at Dallas

Oct 25 vs Toronto 

Oct 27 vs Washington 

Oct 29 vs Detroit 

Oct 30 at L.A. Clippers  

Nov 2 at San Antonio  

Nov 4 at Denver  

Nov 6 vs Miami  

Nov 8 vs Minnesota

Nov 11 vs Philadelphia                         

Nov 13 vs Orlando                       

Nov 16 at Boston  

Nov 18 at Philadelphia                     

Nov 19 at Brooklyn                         

Nov 22 at Oklahoma City   

Nov 24 vs Chicago 

Nov 25 vs New Orleans           

Nov 27 vs Sacramento            

Nov 29 at L.A. Lakers  

Dec 1 at Orlando                           

Dec 3 at Miami                         

Dec 4 at New Orleans       

Dec 6 at Charlotte    

Dec 8 at Detroit    

Dec 11 vs Portland           

Dec 14 vs Dallas  

Dec 18 at L.A. Lakers          

Dec 20 vs Memphis    

Dec 22 vs L.A. Lakers  

Dec 23 vs Denver                        

Dec 25 vs Cleveland 

Dec 27 vs Utah   

Dec 29 vs Charlotte                  

Dec 30 vs Memphis          

Jan 3 at Dallas           

Jan 4 at Houston

Jan 6 at L.A. Clippers

Jan 8 vs Denver       

Jan 10 vs L.A. Clippers

Jan 12 at Milwaukee

Jan 13 at Toronto                    

Jan 15 at Cleveland  

Jan 17 at Chicago                 

Jan 20 at Houston  

Jan 23 vs New York             

Jan 25 vs Minnesota  

Jan 27 vs Boston        

Jan 30 at Utah                   

Feb 2 at Sacramento    

Feb 3 at Denver 

Feb 6 vs Oklahoma City 

Feb 8 vs Dallas      

Feb 10 vs San Antonio 

Feb 12 vs Phoenix 

Feb 14 at Portland 

Feb 22 vs L.A. Clippers 

Feb 24 vs Oklahoma City  

Feb 26 at New York 

Feb 28 at Washington   

Mar 2 at Atlanta                               

Mar 6 vs Brooklyn                         

Mar 8 vs San Antonio  

Mar 9 at Portland                     

Mar 11 at Minnesota   

Mar 14 vs L.A. Lakers    

Mar 16 vs Sacramento      

Mar 17 at Phoenix                         

Mar 19 at San Antonio  

Mar 23 vs Atlanta    

Mar 25 vs Utah  

 Mar 27 vs Indiana 

Mar 29 vs Milwaukee 

Mar 31 at Sacramento                           

Apr 1 vs Phoenix

Apr 3 at Oklahoma City 

Apr 5 at Indiana 

Apr 7 vs New Orleans

Apr 8 at Phoenix

Apr 10 at Utah

Prediction

The Warriors are just head and shoulders above everyone else in the West and the NBA in general. Unless they suffer a rash of injuries, no one's stopping them from repeating. They go 63-19 as they take it easy in the regular season, but once the postseason rolls along, so do they. It's just a matter of how many games it'll take for them to win yet another title.