Starters: Stephen Curry (6-3, 185) and Klay Thompson (6-7, 215)
Curry last season was voted the league MVP. He was marked on more ballots than any other player in the league. He was recognized, at long last, as more of a point guard than a shooting guard. The best shooter in the league also made appreciable strides on defense. It was a banner year for a player entering his prime.
As the team leader, Curry will be asked to do more this season. His role will expand as the coaches seek to add more variations to an offense already difficult to defend. With opponents paying an inordinate amount of attention to Curry, it invites greater opportunities for his teammates. It’s a win-win for the Warriors.
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Thompson last season made his first All-Star appearance, and did so as a starter. He earned it with solid defense and stellar shooting. As much as Thompson benefits from Curry’s presence, Klay also developed a proclivity for picking up his own game when Curry is off the floor. It served the Warriors well.
At the outset of each season, it is apparent Thompson has added another element. The idea this season is to become a better rebounder and become more aggressive in the paint, both of which should result in more free throws. If he succeeds to any degree, opposing defenses will need plenty of luck to slow the Warriors.
Reserves: Leandro Barbosa (6-3, 194), Ian Clark (6-3, 175) and Shaun Livingston (6-7, 192)
[RELATED: Non-roster invitee looks set to make Warriors' 2015-16 roster]
Golden State Warriors
Barbosa keeps rolling along, getting by on an excess of guile and more quickness than anyone should have after 12 NBA seasons. He is that change-of-pace player every good team needs to keep opponents off balance. It doesn’t hurt that he is a terrific teammate. Know this: Barbosa, in spot minutes, will find a way to contribute.
Clark, a non-roster invitee to training camp, made the team largely because he’s a natural shooting guard who has, because he’s undersized, worked on his point guard skills to the point that he can play spot minutes there. He won’t play often, but he’s a fearless competitor who can help in a pinch.
Livingston is the best backup point guard in the NBA, capable of running the offense on one end and defending multiple positions at the other. Such versatility allows him to be paired with any other guard on the roster. With good health and a full year in the system, Livingston is expected to make an appreciable improvement.
Overall
Former Warriors coach Mark Jackson two years often proclaimed Curry and Thompson the best shooting backcourt in league history. Folks that cringed then don’t now. Curry-Thompson is the best in the league and on the road to becoming one of the best ever. The guys behind them, collectively, offer a bit of everything that could be asked of reserve guards.