Take away Jordan Poole and Donte DiVincenzo and replace them with Chris Paul and Dario Saric and you've got the new-look Warriors. It's clear the Warriors have made several moves to improve their roster before heading into the 2023-24 season. But, how and where will these new acquisitions fit?
Closing lineup ideas for Warriors: 3. Stephen Curry - Klay Thompson - Andrew Wiggins - Draymond Green - Kevon Looney
If it aint broke, don't fix it. This isn't a new look for the Warriors, but it is an effective one. Whether regular season or postseason, Curry, Green, Wiggins, Draymond, and Looney made arguably the best starting five in the NBA last year. The five shared the floor 27 times during the regular season, averaging an offensive rating of 128.0 and a true shooting percentage of 67.
In the playoffs, when Poole started against Sacramento, the Warriors produced a 9.2 net rating with 113.1 points on offense and 103.8 points on defense. Comparatively, when Poole sat and Green started, the Warriors produced a 17.9 net rating, with a 116.8 offensive rating and 98.9 defensive rating. With Jordan Poole removed, Klay should also have an easier time stepping back into the role of the team's second leading scorer.
Kerr knows what he can get with this five. He's called on them before. Odds are he calls on them again.
Closing lineup ideas for Warriors: 2. Chris Paul - Stephen Curry - Klay Thompson - Andrew Wiggins - Draymond Green
The Warriors can make the most of their Chris Paul acquisition with this lineup. Klay and Steph working off the ball at the same time would be a nightmare for just about any NBA defense. Then, if that wasn't enough, the opposing team still has to fight through Draymond's legendary screens. And to make matters even worse for other teams, put Chris Paul, the NBA's third all-time assist leader, at the helm. (But, wait, we still haven't even talked about Wiggins.)
Due to Curry's defensive limitations in the past, the Warriors may not have been able to get away with something like this previously. However, thanks to the significant improvement in Curry's defensive skills over the past few seasons, the Warriors will be able to try a lot more than they were able to in the past. Especially when it comes to Steph playing as a 2-guard instead of point guard.
Leave it to CP3 and Draymond to run the pick-and-roll, thus creating all the passing angles to get the ball to the open guy. Klay and Steph can literally run to the corner and do what they do best, which is shoot. Finally, you have Wiggins, who in addition to being a lob threat, is a capable spot-up shooter and elite defender.
Closing lineup ideas for Warriors: 1. Chris Paul - Klay Thompson - Moses Moody - Jonathan Kuminga - Dario Saric
Even if Steph Curry is out, the Warriors shouldn't panic. The Warriors can still lean on Klay Thompson to hit 3s and score from the perimeter. On top of that, Kuminga also stands to benefit from Paul and Šarić's presence on the floor. In addition to Draymond's comment last week about Chris Paul's ability to unlock young players, Kuminga also shines when paired up with a shooter who can spread the floor. Šarić's role will be to spread the floor and pass. So, this lineup bodes well for the young forward.
One of the major upsides to this lineup is that Šarić is comfortable playing alongside CP3. Guess what happened in the same season the Suns won the West? Chris Paul assisted Šarić 41 times. The Athletic's Anthony Slater compared Saric's ability to Otto Porter Jr.'s, saying, "Just think about all the times Kerr injected Porter next to Draymond Green. He actually started Porter in the last three games of the 2022 NBA Finals for spacing purposes." Interestingly enough, that year, the Warriors won the championship. Kerr could use Šarić similarly this year, with this exact lineup.
Defensively, this lineup may have trouble against athletic, scoring centers. But, this could possibly be compensated for by Moody and Kuminga's athleticism. Whatever the case may be, this lineup is a great addition to their roster in the event that Steph is unavailable.