The Golden State Warriors will look to contend for a championship next season. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson will make their respective returns from injury and the team has Andrew Wiggins and the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft at their disposal.
There are a few areas where the Warriors must improve this offseason in order to solidify themselves for a title run.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr believes his team must focus to address their lack of athleticism at key spots.
“I think we need to be more athletic, for sure,” Kerr told The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami. “We’re obviously very skilled. But we don’t have an overly athletic team. We’ve lost a lot of bounce and a lot of pop on the wings — even at the center position. (So) right now, we’re not big enough or athletic enough to get where we want to be.”
The Warriors no longer have Kevin Durant or Andre Iguodala on the wing from their most recent title run. Additionally, Glenn Robinson III began the season as an intriguing contributor but Golden State opted to trade him to the Philadelphia 76ers.
There is no shortage of athleticism from Andrew Wiggins— that was a key element to his stock when he came into the NBA. On the bench, there is a lack of ‘bounce’ and ‘pop’ as Kerr expressed.
The center position is an interesting spot to think about for the Warriors, too. Anthony Davis formulating a superstar duo with LeBron James will require there being a paint presence to comfortably matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers in a potential playoff series.
It’s not just about size when stacking up with the Lakers. The Warriors will need to find a center with legitimate athleticism that can consistently provide an impact as a weak-side help defender in rim protection scenarios and have mobility in pick-and-roll coverage.
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