The Warriors will look slightly different after winning their fourth championship in eight seasons.
While Golden State’s core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins remains the same, the franchise underwent a few changes this summer.
The Warriors were able to re-sign starting center Kevon Looney in free agency, but they lost some key members of their rotation in Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr., Juan Toscano-Anderson and Nemanja Bjelica. They have been replaced with JaMychal Green and Donte DiVincenzo.
How will those losses and additions impact Golden State’s starting and closing lineup?
MORE: Breaking down Warriors schedule for 2022-23 season
Projecting Warriors’ starting lineup for 2022-23 season
The combination of Curry, Jordan Poole, Wiggins, Green and Looney was Golden State’s most used starting lineup in the 2021-22 season by a mile, but the return of Thompson in early January bumped Poole to the bench.
With Thompson back in a full-time capacity, it’s safe to assume that he’ll start over Poole.
James Wiseman is an option to start at center — he started in 27 of the 39 games in which he appeared during his rookie season — but Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has already made it clear that Looney will be ahead of him in the rotation.
| Position | Player |
| PG | Stephen Curry |
| SG | Klay Thompson |
| SF | Andrew Wiggins |
| PF | Draymond Green |
| C | Kevon Looney |
Because of injuries, Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Green and Looney started alongside each other only once during the 2021-22 regular season. They then started in nine games in the 2022 NBA Playoffs, making that group the Warriors’ most used starting lineup.
The five of them were highly effective together. According to NBA.com, the Warriors posted an offensive rating of 116.7 and a defensive rating of 98.0 with Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Green and Looney on the court in the playoffs. Of lineups that logged at least 50 postseason minutes, only two posted a better net rating.
Projecting Warriors’ closing lineup for 2022-23 season
More often than not, Curry, Thompson, Wiggins and Green will be on the floor for the Warriors in crunch time. What about the fifth player? Kerr’s decision will likely come down to what the Warriors need most against their opponent.
A star in his role, Looney gives Golden State size, versatile defense and rebounding at the center position. JaMychal Green offers a different look in the frontcourt with his ability to stretch the floor. Poole is coming off a breakout season that saw him become a knockdown shooter and dynamic playmaker. When healthy, DiVincenzo has proven to be a strong defender who can fill in the gaps offensively as a 3-point shooter and cutter.
The Warriors also have their trio of young players in Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. Minutes should be more available to each one of them this season, but will Wiseman, Kuminga or Moody develop quickly enough to jump ahead of the veterans in key moments?
Going into the season, the safest bet is probably on Looney or Poole being the fifth player in closing lineups, but Kerr certainly has no shortage of options.
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