Warriors training camp begins Monday afternoon with plenty of questions to answer and players to keep an eye on. Golden State won't have a title to defend this year, but the aging core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green is looking to pry open the contention window for as long as possible.
This year, that means swapping unpredictable youth for experience and IQ. The Jordan Poole-for-Chris Paul trade was a definitive end to a "two-timeline" youth movement that was interfering with the end game. A handful of players will need to buy into roles that are perhaps outside of their comfort zone to get the on-court and off-court symbiosis Golden State lacked last season.
That starts at training camp, which leads into five preseason exhibition games — two against the Los Angeles Lakers, two against the Sacramento Kings and one against the San Antonio Spurs.
Here are three-and-a-half things to keep an eye on when camp kicks off.
1. Who plays best with Chris Paul?
The Warriors will most likely be their most competitive if 38-year-old Paul accepts a role coming off the bench and playing with the second unit. That isn't to say Paul will be shunned from the starting rotation or won't close games; head coach Steve Kerr may go to a hyper-small lineup with him, Curry and Thompson in certain matchups.
Paul has not come off the bench in an NBA game for his entire 18-year career and hasn't openly embraced the idea of changing his ways. Kerr said on Monday he expects Paul's playing time to remain on par with his 30-to-32-minute standard, adding it's like "having six starters," and narrowing the options down to five would be determined in training camp.
In camp and especially during exhibition games, it'll be worth noting not only how Paul is used, but which lineups he works best with. But the match is too obvious: The Warriors lost a handful of games in large part because no playmaking leader emerged from the bench unit last season and Paul is the NBA's premier playmaker. The methodical, tactical ways Paul makes passes and directs the floor is the kind of pace Golden State's second units thrived with during their other championship years — as Green noted during a rough stretch last season.
"That unit should not play as fast as the first unit," Green said in November. "It should be more methodical. It should be more sets. It should be more patterned movements as opposed to random movements and random offense. For me, it's just trying to slow that unit down.
"No. 2, make sure that unit is defending. As a second unit, your job isn't to go out there and build the lead, your job is to maintain the lead."
Paul's chemistry with Jonathan Kuminga is worth watching, as will be any minutes he plays with former Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns teammate Dario Saric — who can stretch the floor as a shooting big.
2. Jonathan Kuminga's big year
All eyes in the organization are on Kuminga this year, and that starts in training camp.
The Warriors' seventh overall pick in 2021 will be entering his third year in the NBA, viewed as a crucial stepping stone for young first-rounders seeking a contract extension. Jordan Poole's 2022 breakout season, his third year, earned him a hefty contract — can Kuminga follow his footsteps (without the punch and trade)?
The Warriors could have used Kuminga's 6-foot-7 frame and athleticism against Anthony Davis and the Lakers in year's playoff series loss. But the coaching staff determined he wasn't ready for the matchup.
Kuminga has the athleticism and size to be a superstar, but he could elevate the second unit and even earn a starting spot if he embraces his role as a slasher under the rim — vacuuming up passes by Paul — and develop a 3-point shot that challenges defenses while also developing as a rebounder.
3. Who gets the final spot?
The Warriors will have 21 players at camp. Thirteen roster spots are occupied, which means the 14th spot and three two-way spots are still up for grabs. Training camp and preseason will be ground for the invites, and signed two-way players, to compete for spots.
General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said the team isn't favoring any position in particular, just the best players. Keep an eye on Usman Garuba, currently on a two-way. He is a former Houston Rockets first-round pick known to play a defensive style similar to Draymond Green. On the flip side, he's also similar to Green in that he doesn't have a niche offensively — maybe that changes on a new team.
Guards Lester Quiñones and Jerome Robinson, also on two-way deals, played for the G League affiliate Santa Cruz Warriors last season. That could change as the Warriors typically shuffle through players for their two-way spots — last year's two-ways Ty Jerome and Anthony Lamb were late preseason additions to the team.
Guards Kendric Davis and Donovan Williams, forward Javan Johnson received training camp-invite deals, the team announced Thursday. The Warriors also made official the reported signings of veteran forward Rudy Gay and guard Rodney McGruder to camp invite deals.
The half: Extension talk
Dunleavy has assured that talks to extend Kerr — who is on the final year of his contract — are in a good place. It wouldn't be a shock if Kerr and the Warriors came to terms on an extension before the regular season begins on Oct. 24 against the Phoenix Suns.
The Warriors can also extend Klay Thompson, on the final year of his five-year, $189.9 million deal. Though Thompson may see incentive to take a contract year by storm and wade through the free agency pool before settling into anything.
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