The Golden State Warriors spent the opening stretch of the offseason in the kind of wishful territory that gets fans dreaming big. Giannis Antetokounmpo was in the mix in those conversations, the team was viewed as a possible landing spot for LeBron James, and the Boston Celtics were reportedly shopping Jaylen Brown. But when the dust settles, Golden State’s roster looks almost unchanged from last season.
That’s the part that stings. The Warriors went 37-45 and finished as the No. 10 seed, so a near-identical group does not exactly scream progress. A projected starting lineup only makes that reality feel sharper.
The five in question: Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, Draymond Green and Kristaps Porzingis.
What will the Warriors starting 5 be on opening night? This is what I’m thinking:
Steph Curry
Brandin Podziemski
Gui Santos
Draymond Green
Kristaps Porzingis pic.twitter.com/Q6rLGp39Ef
- SleeperWarriors (@SleeperWarriors) August 2, 2026
There is at least a path to talking yourself into it. Curry remains the greatest shooter of all time and still plays at an elite level when he’s healthy.
Podziemski saw plenty of run last season because injuries forced him into bigger minutes, and he clearly took a step forward. Santos also showed he can help, enough to earn an extension.
Porzingis is frequently sidelined, but when he was healthy last season, he played well. Green has slipped some, though pairing him with Curry still carries real danger, as it did in the Play-In game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
That’s why it’s possible to squint and see a team that could hover around .500 for the first half of the season. Health is the huge variable, but with Yaxel Lendeborg in the mix and bench pieces such as De’Anthony Melton available, there’s enough depth to imagine respectable basketball.
The bigger question is whether that can last long enough for Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody to come back from injury. That’s not a sure thing at all, especially since both suffered major injuries. If they do return in time, there’s a route to the Play-In, a win or two, and a spot in a seven-game playoff series.
But that’s also where the ceiling starts to feel painfully low. If the best-case outcome is fighting for a first-round exit, it’s hard to get too fired up about the direction of the team.
The Warriors still won’t be boring. Curry proved last season he can still deliver special moments, and that alone guarantees some fun nights.
Even so, the bigger picture is tough to ignore: Golden State looks stuck. There’s no obvious burst of momentum waiting to happen, and no clear move that suddenly changes the outlook.
Maybe the team surprises people. Right now, though, it’s hard to look at this group and feel like much is about to change.
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Draymond Green Now Faces Real Pressure To Earn This Warriors Deal
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That is why the pressure around his next stretch with the team feels different now. Golden State is counting on Green to keep anchoring the defense and providing the kind of veteran presence that has long made him essential, even as the margin for error around the roster keeps shrinking. How much of that value he can still deliver will go a long way toward determining whether this remains a smart bet for the Warriors. [Read more 🡒]