Is this the year the Pacific Division team go from pretenders to contenders?
If you’re a Golden State Warriors fan then you have a lot to be excited about this season.
After showing plenty of signs last season they fell short in their playoff runs, but they are still well and truly on the upswing.
The biggest news of their off-season was the signing Andre Iguodala, with the swingman joining the side on a big money move from the Denver Nuggets.
Iguodala will add a bit of everything for the Warriors this season with points, rebounds, steals and assist helping feed the Warriors’ scoring machine.
But while Iguodala is a big plus for the side and gives Golden State an ‘X-factor’, they had to give up plenty to get him.
Jarrett Jack, who was a sixth-man of the year candidate and a mentor to Step Curry and Klay Thompson, is now gone and Carl Landry, an effective low-post presence will be notable absences.
Curry proved that he is arguably the best shooter in the league with the ability to put up massive points without looking like he is trying.
The other big plus side to the Warriors this season is the ever-improving Harrison Barnes, who looks like he could be an All-Star within the next three years.
Testament to his mature attitude he is willing to be a bench player behind Iguodala when eh could be a starter in almost any other team in the league.
Golden State’s front court also looms as an important area if they are to take on the West, with David Lee and Andrew Bogut bearing the brunt of the work.
Bogut has shown signs he is over his injury woes this pre-season, and if that is the case, he could begin to show why he was taken as the number one pick in the 2005 draft.
Golden State Warriors: 6th
Rankings
Offence: 8.5
Defence: 8
Front court: 7.7
Back court: 8.5
Bench: 6.5
Coach: 8
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