This article is part of our NBA Team Previews series.
Golden State Warriors 2022-23 Team Overview
After a title, the Warriors have actually lost a handful of role players this offseason. Gone are Nemanja Bjelica, Chris Chiozza, Damion Lee, Gary Payton, Otto Porter and Juan Toscano Anderson. Andre Iguodala is yet to make a decision on his playing future; he’ll be back at Golden State if he adapts. To make up for the losses, the Warriors signed Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green. Kevon Looney was also re-signed.
2021-22 review: 53-29; Won NBA title
2022-23 NBA Total Win Odds: 51.5 wins (DraftKings)
2022-23 NBA Title Odds: +600 (DraftKings)
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Discover our 2022-23 Fancy basketball rankingswhich includes fantastic basketball projections for each player.
Golden State Warriors Fantasy Basketball Preview
Curry added to his resume already in the Hall of Fame last season, winning the 2022 Finals MVP award – his first. That said, Curry’s regular season has been a bit of a roller coaster. He still finished seventh in fantasy production per game, but December and January were tough months for managers who lean on Curry. In those 27 games, he shot just 39.4% from the field. Curry made up for that with a scorching February and March (49.8%), but the full season result was still just 43.7% shooting from the field – the lowest mark of his career and a significant drop from the 48.2% mark. he struck in 2020-21. The veteran guard also took fewer shots, with Klay Thompson returning to the fold after two years on the sidelines. The decrease in efficiency and volume caused Curry’s points per game to drop from 32.0 to 25.5, leading him to rank outside the top five in fantasy production per game for the first times since 2011-12. It’s understandable that fantasy managers are worried about Curry entering his 34-year-old season, especially after his worst shooting year in the field and three. However, he showed in the playoffs that he is still one of the best players in the league. In the vast majority of fantasy drafts, he’ll be picked in the top five, where he’s finished most of his career.
Besides playing just 46 games due mostly to a back injury, Green has put together a quality 2021-22 campaign. His assists (7.3), steals (1.3) and free throw percentage (65.9%) fell from the previous season, but he also improved his field goal percentage ( 52.5%), his blocks (1.1) and his points (7.5). and rebounds (7.3). The overall result was Green ranked 56th in fantasy production per game. That’s on par with his past seasons, as he’s been ranked between 37 and 76 for the past four years. His shooting regime changed a bit which had a positive effect on his field goal percentage. He took a career-high 31% of his shots from floating distance and a career-low 17% of his shots on three. The change makes sense, as Green has struggled to consistently connect to his attempts from beyond the arc (28.3% over the past six years), and he’s valuable as an option of pick-and-roll that is also adept at kicking open shooters or throwing a floater after catching the ball in the paint. Nothing should change this season. Green will continue to be Golden State’s offensive hub and a constant threat for low-end triple-doubles with added defensive stats.
Wiggins carved out consistent production during his two seasons with the Warriors, claiming a starting role as the team’s third scoring option behind Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. Although he didn’t quite live up to his first draft billing, Wiggins has rebuilt a worthwhile career and contributes enough across the board to warrant fantastic consideration in most formats. Wiggins saw his goalscoring efforts decline for a third consecutive season, averaging 17.2 points per game, down from 18.6 per game the previous campaign. He also saw dips in rebounds and assists, albeit smaller and which can likely be explained by his dip in playing time. On the plus side, Wiggins tied a career-best average of 2.2 marks to three points per contest and converted to a career-best clip of 39.2% – an asset that hasn’t been in his bag for much of his career. Wiggins also reached steal-by-contest for the first time since 2018-19, upping his fantasy value slightly. Still just 27, Wiggins is set to feature in the starting five again this season in a role similar to the one he saw last year.
Playing guard in a team that already includes Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson doesn’t seem like the best opportunity for a young player to carve out a career-changing campaign, but Poole did it last season, which had a huge impact on the Warriors. path to an NBA title and emerging as one of the league’s most dynamic rising stars. The 2019 first-round pick showed promise in his first two NBA campaigns, but he didn’t set it all up until last year, when he finished with 18.5-point averages per game. , 4.0 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.8 three-pointers while shooting 44.8% from the field and 92.5% from the charity strip. Much of Poole’s work has been done as a starter. He started the campaign in the starting lineup as Thompson rehabilitated his Achilles injury, and he replaced Curry when the point guard missed nearly a month with a season-ending foot injury. Poole has been particularly effective in the final streak, averaging 25.8 points, 6.2 dimes, 5.0 boards and 4.1 triples during Curry’s 12-game absence. Golden State is of course hoping Curry and Thompson can stay healthy next season, which will likely see Poole play mostly on the bench. The 23-year-old performed well as a reserve last term, but it’s logical to expect such a role to lead to a drop in his overall output. It may be tempting to nab Poole in the middle of the fantasy draft based on his sustained spells of brilliance last season, but beware of overlooking the fact that his opportunities might not be as favorable if the Warriors superstars stay in good shape. health.
It had been a long time since we had seen Thompson on the floor. His last playing action came in the 2019 playoffs. He was still not ready to speak at the start of last season, waiting until January to make his return. Naturally, he was no longer the shooter he once was. He shot just 42.9% from the field, breaking a streak of five consecutive campaigns in which he shot at least 46.3%. Additionally, he shot 38.5% from behind the arc, marking the first time he has shot below 40% in that department in his career. His inconsistent shooting continued through the playoffs, but the Warriors still managed to win another title. Thompson could improve his efficiency with a full and healthy offseason to try and get back into shape. Considering he averaged 20.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 3.6 three-pointers even with his limitations last season, there’s still plenty of fantasy appeal with him. While he may be limited in back-to-back situations, it’s also possible he will increase his average of 29 minutes per game that he had last season. Before that, he never recorded less than 32 minutes per game after his rookie season.
Golden State Warriors depth chart for 2022-23
Click for a more detailed Golden State Warriors depth chart
Golden State Warriors predictions for 2022-23
The Warriors got just 64 games from Curry, 32 from Thompson and 46 from Green last year and still had 53 wins. Losing depth is important, but more minutes from Kuminga, Moody and Wiseman could make up for that, and DiVincenzo is a great addition to the system. Assuming good health, there are plenty of reasons to expect the Warriors to return to the Finals.
Save prediction
- 54-28
- 1 seed
- Lost in the NBA Finals
bold call
Either James Wiseman or Jonathan Kuminga enters the top five permanently at some point in the year.
NBA Award Nominees
