The questions that will determine the Warriors' repeat title run

The Golden State Warriors had a definite glow arsenic they entered grooming campy 4 weeks ago. It's a glow you person aft spending the summertime celebrating a title and preparing to support it the adjacent season.

Klay Thompson was seen dancing connected his boat. Stephen Curry had his jersey retired astatine his alma mater and was inducted into Davidson's Hall of Fame. Jordan Poole took a circuit of Europe. James Wiseman yet got a summertime league nether his belt.

Despite losing cardinal rotation players Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. during escaped agency, the Warriors retooled their bench, adding JaMychal Green and Donte DiVincenzo. Warriors icon Andre Iguodala announced he'd instrumentality to the squad for a 19th and last NBA season.

That glow extended internally, arsenic the Warriors spent 5 days successful Japan for 2 preseason games. But soon aft they landed backmost successful San Francisco, Golden State was confronted with what manager Steve Kerr called "the biggest crisis" successful his tenure with the Warriors, arsenic video of Draymond Green punching Poole during signifier leaked retired for each the satellite to see.

The squad swears it's past the altercation, and that ringing nighttime connected Tuesday was the eventual Band-Aid to the incident. It won't, they say, person immoderate effect connected their quest to triumph their 5th rubric successful 9 years.

What benignant of interaction Green's actions person connected the Warriors is simply a question that volition play retired passim the season. And it's not the lone contented surrounding the team.

Here are the 5 biggest questions the Warriors look for the 2022-23 season:

How volition the Warriors negociate their rotation?

In their play opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, Kerr played an 11-man rotation and 9 players recorded much than 15 minutes. All but 1 progressive subordinate (Patrick Baldwin Jr.) saw minutes and each but 2 (Baldwin and Ryan Rollins) played successful the archetypal half.

Having this extent is perfect successful the concern the Warriors are successful present -- with Draymond Green and Thompson not acceptable to play afloat minutes and Iguodala not cleared to play astatine all. But Kerr and his coaching unit are yet going to look immoderate hard decisions.

"You person 11 guys that astir apt merit the accidental to play," Curry said. "There's going to beryllium antithetic lineups each night, particularly aboriginal successful the year. ... We're going to person to make that chemistry arsenic we go. You're going to proceed to effort and experimentation and springiness guys opportunities to spell retired and hoop."

This isn't the archetypal clip the Warriors person faced this. They had it past season, but this season's seat -- and the endowment up and down -- is deeper than a twelvemonth ago. The squad has been drafting comparisons to the 2014-15 squad erstwhile the squad coined the operation "Strength successful Numbers."

"That squad was veteran," Kerr said. "This squad is young guys, but the endowment is truly obvious."

The additions of JaMychal Green and DiVincenzo regenerate the losses of Porter Jr. and Payton II. They are not c copies, by immoderate means, but Green gives the Warriors a floor-spacer -- he's a vocation 37% 3-point shooter -- antiaircraft beingness and a large assemblage down low. DiVincenzo, for his part, gives them different shot handler and much violative versatility.

But what makes the quality successful the Warriors' extent this play are their youngsters. Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody are being asked to play much minutes and person bigger roles successful the rotation, portion Wiseman volition backmost up halfway Kevon Looney.

During the preseason, Kerr said lone his sixth antheral was decided connected -- Poole. Other than that, important rotation spots, and minutes, are up for grabs. How they'll beryllium distributed volition beryllium a captious adaptable successful the Warriors' effort astatine a repeat.

Where does Warriors' 'camaraderie' basal post-punch?

The Warriors are adamant they person moved on.

Green took respective days distant from the team, apologized to Poole and his family, and the organization, and said helium was consenting to bash the enactment to rebuild bridges. But that was earlier helium pushed backmost connected the conception that helium had to physique backmost spot with his teammates.

"It's astir making definite our squad camaraderie is right," Green said the time helium returned. "You tin archer erstwhile you're playing against a squad and they person bully camaraderie ... if not, they tin beryllium breached casual ... if you person that, you tin physique done anything. [Our camaraderie doesn't] get precise shaken."

Green mightiness beryllium correct, that playing good unneurotic does travel down much to spot connected the tribunal than successful the locker room. Their play opener against the Lakers showed Green and Poole tin coexist connected the tribunal and play together, with Poole connecting with Green connected a second-quarter pick-and-roll.

But the Warriors person been playing successful a bubble since the altercation. They played 3 preseason games astatine location and play their archetypal 3 regular-season games successful San Francisco.

But what happens erstwhile the Warriors deed the road? How volition antithetic instrumentality bases usage this against the Warriors? Will players, coaches and executives beryllium prepared to code it crippled aft game? How volition they respond erstwhile each enactment betwixt Poole and Green is dissected?

Pressure volition rise. And determination are acold much questions than answers astir the defining diagnostic of this Warriors squad and dynasty.

How volition the Warriors grip their $500 cardinal question?

In the aftermath of the punch, some Poole and Green's contracts were cardinal topics of treatment for Golden State arsenic it juggled perchance hundreds of millions of dollars. Ten days later, Poole signed a four-year $140 cardinal extension. Andrew Wiggins signed connected arsenic well, for 4 years and $109 million, setting the squad up for a gargantuan $483 cardinal taxation penalty.

Green has a $27.6 cardinal subordinate enactment waiting for him adjacent summer, and if helium turns it down helium is acceptable to participate escaped bureau successful 2024. Green doesn't expect a caller woody this twelvemonth and helium said helium isn't reasoning astir negotiations now.

With 12 players connected the roster adjacent season, the Warriors wage volition already beryllium $215 million, and their taxation volition beryllium $268 million. This script includes Draymond Green opting into his subordinate option.

No GPII, nary Otto Porter Jr., nary Mike Brown: How tin the Warriors support their elite defense?

Despite the outstanding shooting and violative firepower the Warriors are known for, they similar to see themselves a squad successful which defence comes first. Last season, the Warriors showed it again.

But Golden State besides mislaid its antiaircraft mastermind successful adjunct manager Mike Brown to Sacramento. Golden State promoted Kenny Atkinson aft helium gave up the head-coaching occupation accidental successful Charlotte and is considered to beryllium its caller antiaircraft coordinator, but Kerr told ESPN the squad is besides heavy relying connected adjunct manager Chris DeMarco to pb the defence this season.

"Mike got a batch of assistance from Chris past year," Kerr said. "Chris is the span from past twelvemonth truthful everything that we did past we are doing this year. There are a mates tweaks present and determination but for the astir part, we're playing a akin benignant and I'm truly blessed with the occupation they're doing."

Consider: The Warriors allowed 106.6 points per 100 possessions past season, 2nd down lone their Finals counterparts, the Boston Celtics, according to ESPN Stats & Information. They contested 91% of their opponents' shots past season, the second-highest percent successful the NBA, according to Second Spectrum.

It's nary astonishment that Draymond Green was -- and continues to beryllium -- the anchor of the Warriors' defense. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Green allowed .68 points per nonstop post, third-best retired of 158 players to support 40+ post-ups.

But the Warriors mislaid 2 of their different astir important defenders successful Payton and Porter.

Payton allowed an effectual tract extremity percent of 45.6% successful half-court matchups past season, 11th-best retired of 254 players, per Second Spectrum.

Out of 254 players with astatine slightest 2,000 half-court matchups past season, Porter allowed the 12th-fewest squad points per 100 usage matchups (91.1), Payton the 13th-fewest (91.2) and Green the 40th-fewest (93.4).

So who precisely is picking up the antiaircraft slack?

"JaMychal has been amazing," Kerr told ESPN. "To beryllium capable to adhd a big, beardown subordinate who rebounds, who boxes out, who tin defender aggregate spots ... helium tin defender up and defender 5s; he's a cardinal feline for america successful presumption of replacing those guys."

Can they enactment healthy?

Last season, the Warriors were capable to combat done wounded aft injury, not having their full roster steadfast until Game 1 of the archetypal circular of the playoffs. And adjacent then, they took a deed successful the 2nd circular erstwhile Payton broke his elbow.

Thompson missed the archetypal 4 months of the play arsenic helium finished his betterment from consecutive ACL and Achilles injuries. Wiseman, whom the Warriors accidental won't play nether immoderate peculiar load absorption this season, missed the full season. Green missed 28 games from mid-January to mid-March with a backmost injury. Curry missed the last 12 games of the regular play with a ft fracture. Iguodala played successful conscionable 31 games.

According to Spotrac, 12 players combined to miss 308 games for Golden State past season, fourth-most successful the NBA.

Iguodala's availability this play is inactive a question, and the Warriors aren't counting connected him to play large minutes.

Thompson missed the archetypal 2 preseason games successful Japan owed to deficiency of conditioning, and is starting the regular play connected a minutes restriction. After playing 20 minutes successful the Warriors' play opener, Thompson isn't expected to person overmuch of a bump against the Nuggets connected Friday.

"I don't deliberation it volition beryllium precise agelong [until I tin play my afloat minutes]," Thompson said Thursday afternoon. "But I consciousness great. I support moving with the minutes I play and if we support winning, we're truthful heavy that I americium successful a precise fortunate presumption to beryllium capable to [ease in]."

Last season, the Warriors had the sixth-oldest roster successful the NBA. This season, they are 10th.

Injuries, of course, are unavoidable. But if the Warriors anticipation to repeat, a repetition of past year's unlucky tally of injuries volition marque it much difficult.