Training camp will carry real weight for the Warriors this year, and a lot of that pressure lands on Yaxel Lendeborg.
Golden State does not need him to rip the starting job away from Gui Santos on day one, but it would help plenty if he makes the case that he belongs in that role before long. The small forward spot is one of the biggest things the Warriors need to sort out in camp, and it sits right at the center of a larger roster puzzle.
Stephen Curry is the one starter who is locked in. Draymond Green and Kristaps Porzingis are expected to join him, and Brandin Podziemski is the favorite over De'Anthony Melton for the final guard spot. That leaves Santos and Lendeborg battling for the job at small forward.
Santos earned plenty of trust late last season, when he averaged 15.3 points per game over the final 2.5 months. He has also shown he can rebound and pass, and while quicker ball-handlers can give him trouble, he has held up as a team defender. Lendeborg brings a similar overall profile, but with more size and a higher ceiling on both ends.
Santos is already the kind of player who can log meaningful minutes without hurting the team. The issue is that the Warriors have a few players in that mold already. What they need is someone who can raise the ceiling and give Curry more help before Jimmy Butler returns.
Prediction: Santos starts the opener, but Lendeborg gets into the starting lineup in the early stages of the season
Another camp storyline involves Brandon Williams, whose roster spot is far from guaranteed because of the way his deal is structured. He gives Golden State a young scoring guard with a different kind of offensive juice, and the Warriors clearly went after him for a reason. Still, there is a real chance he could be signed and released before the season begins.
That possibility exists because Williams has no guaranteed money until opening night. If he remains on the roster then, $1.4 million of his contract becomes guaranteed.
A strong camp would make the decision simple. But if Williams is merely fine and another guard - either two-way player LJ Cryer or likely Santa Cruz Warriors starter Dalen Terry - shines, the Warriors will have a tough call to make.
Prediction: Williams stays on the roster for the whole season
The third major question is how Frank Vogel’s arrival changes the way Golden State lines up on the floor.
Vogel was brought in as the Warriors’ new defensive coordinator, and that points toward possible changes in the rotation. Steve Kerr has leaned into small-ball looks more than most coaches in recent seasons, but Vogel has built a reputation for preferring lineups with more positional size to support his defensive system.
His usage of Anthony Davis with the Lakers is a good example. Basketball Reference shows Vogel played Davis at power forward 60 percent of the time during the Lakers’ 2019-20 championship season, then pushed that number to 91 percent in 2020-21. Before Davis arrived in Los Angeles, he was at center 96 percent of the time with the Pelicans.
Golden State, though, does not have wings who check both boxes: size and strong on-ball defense. That leaves Kerr and Vogel with a real decision to make.
Kerr has often used three-guard lineups that defend well on the ball but give up size. A group like Curry, De'Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II, Draymond Green and Kristaps Porzingis fits that mold. This season, Kerr could lean harder into size by using Payton less and keeping either Lendeborg or Santos at the 3 for most of the game.
That would give the Warriors more length, but it could also open the door to more dribble penetration. If Golden State goes that route, Vogel’s job will be to steer drivers into help and make sure the rotations behind that first line hold up.
Prediction: The Dubs play bigger lineups to fit Vogel’s vision
In Other News...
Warriors Trade Buzz Around Karl-Anthony Towns Comes With One Awkward Catch
Karl-Anthony Towns has already emerged as one of the bigger names to watch as the Knicks weigh their next move, and the Warriors are said to be among the teams paying close attention. Towns holds a $61 million player option and could choose free agency next summer, which gives New York a reason to think about acting before the situation gets even more complicated. From Golden States side, the appeal is obvious: Towns is a high-end talent who could reshape the frontcourt picture if the right deal materializes.
The catch is in the mechanics, because any serious pursuit would have to navigate a tricky trade market while Towns is still seeking a max extension from the Knicks. Jimmy Butlers expiring contract and draft capital would likely be part of the framework, even as he works back from a torn ACL and is expected to return early next year. There is also a little basketball irony baked into the whole thing, given the shared history involved, which only makes the possibility feel even more layered as the offseason conversation develops. [Read more 🡒]
Buddy Hield Just Got An Unexpected Opening With The Hornets
The Hornets preseason injury list already has a ripple effect for Buddy Hield, who was traded to Charlotte and suddenly finds a clearer path to minutes. With LaMelo Ball dealt away and the roster thinning further, the teams need for perimeter shooting becomes even more obvious, which is where Hield can still make his case despite a recent stretch that has fallen short of his career efficiency.
Charlotte said Kon Knueppel and Grant Williams will sit out all of preseason with hamstring injuries and will be re-evaluated in the first week of the regular season. Knueppels absence, in particular, opens the door a little wider for Hield to work into the rotation, giving the Hornets another proven outside threat while they sort through an early-season lineup that is already missing pieces. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Camp Opens With One Huge Question Around Their Season Outlook
The Warriors open training camp in Oahu on Oct. 3 with the usual mix of familiarity and uncertainty that has come to define this stage of their season. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are back in the fold, the roster has been mostly retained, and the front office sprinkled in veteran help with Brandon Williams and Georges Niang on minimum deals, while rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is expected to get a real chance to matter. Golden State will not have to wait long to see where it stands, either, with its first preseason game set for Oct. 4 against the Clippers in Hawaii.
The bigger question, though, is how much of this group will actually be available when camp gets rolling and how quickly the rotation can take shape before the NBA season opens Oct. 21. Curry is managing a knee issue, and there is no sense of urgency around his contract situation, which only adds to the feeling that the Warriors are entering camp with more to sort through than a typical contender. For a team still trying to balance its veteran core with a younger supporting cast, the first few days in Hawaii should reveal plenty about the shape of this season, even if the most important answers are still waiting to be found. [Read more 🡒]