6 training camp storylines to watch

It’s almost time.

The start of the Golden State Warriors training camp is right around the corner. And while I wish the Dubs had chosen a less-problematic host site for their preseason ramp-up, it’s still an exciting time of year. Training camp always starts with a lot of questions, and the hope is that it ends with a fair number of answers ... but sometimes it just creates more questions.

When camp gets underway, we’ll immediately learn of some new questions and storylines, as quotes come out, reports unveil new information, and, eventually, we get to see the team play. Until then, these are the six main storylines that I’ll be keeping an eye on when camp kicks off.

What’s the starting lineup?

I’ve written a lot of words about the starting lineup, and I’ll write a lot more before all is said and done. It was a topic that hung over the Warriors last year from the second they traded for Chris Paul, and it didn’t disappear until the season ended.

With Paul and Klay Thompson donning Southwest Division jerseys, the starting lineup will likely have less drama this season. But, with the season opener just 34 days away, it’s entirely unclear what the starting five will look like, and there are about five million sub-questions that will determine the answer to this primary question.

Do the Dubs want scoring, playmaking, or defense in the backcourt next to Steph Curry? You can make a strong case for starting any of Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, or Buddy Hield across from Curry.

Do they think Andrew Wiggins has returned to form, and if so, do they think he is compatible alongside Jonathan Kuminga? Do they view Kuminga strictly as a four again, or are they comfortable playing him at small forward? Do they want to play big, or small out of the gates? And if the former, do they prefer the offensive versatility of Trayce Jackson-Davis or the defensive anchoring of Kevon Looney?

Can Andrew Wiggins return to form?

Last year was a confusing and sad season for Wiggins, just two years after he was elected an All-Star starter. He was dramatically down in most statistical categories, and the advanced metrics painted him as one of the worst rotation regulars in the entire league.

But more than that was how he looked. Wiggins seemed passive and frankly disinterested for much of the season. After being a monster on the glass in the 2022 NBA Finals, and declaring that he’d had an epiphany that he could grab a ton of rebounds if he just tried, Wiggins had just five games all season with more than seven boards, and finished 11th on the team in rebound percentage. He seemed hesitant to use his athleticism in any area of the game, and provided little on defense.

Everyone can try to draw their own conclusions for what happened with Wiggins, but if he can’t reverse it, the Warriors could be in trouble. I’m not sure how optimistic the Dubs are, given the reports that they were “aggressively” shopping him earlier this offseason.

Whether he’s in the starting lineup, coming off the bench, or used in a trade, how Wiggins looks will be a massive storyline over the next few weeks.

Extension watch

With Curry signing a one-year, $62.6 million extension recently (the maximum in both years and money), the extension eyes turn to two players: Kuminga and Moody. Both are extension-eligible as they head into the final year of their standard four-year rookie deals that all first-round picks get. The Warriors have until October 21 to work out extensions with the fourth-year wings, otherwise each player will enter restricted free agency next summer.

So far, it doesn’t look promising that the sides will reach an agreement. That’s not surprising for players that aren’t surefire max-extension players. But progress on that front will be worth monitoring.

Youth growth

Kuminga at times looked like an All-Star last year, though he struggled with consistency. Moody at times looked like he should be starting, and at other times was a complete non-factor. Podziemski spent much of the year looking like he could be a core member of the team going forward, but had his fair share of rookie bumps and bruises. Jackson-Davis helped transform the offense, but usually just in small spurts.

We can expect all four players to be better this year, but in what areas have they improved? And how much have they improved? It’s not rare to start hearing the veterans or the coaching staff gush about a young player when camp arrives, and usually that tells us something.

Role player roster battles

The Warriors are still searching for a second star to put alongside Curry, and hope that either Kuminga or Podziemski develops into one, or they can swing a trade for one. But what they lack in star power (aside from Curry), they make up for in extreme depth.

Melton, Anderson, and Hield are all high-level role players, even if they lack star power and potential (in my opinion you can put Moody in that bucket as well). But how will those role player minutes battles shake out? Those four all deserve a lot of minutes, and it’s going to be hard to find them alongside Curry, Podziemski, Wiggins, and Kuminga (to make no mention of Gui Santos or Lindy Waters III). As training camp progresses, we’ll start to see which players Steve Kerr trusts, and which ones might fall into more back-of-the-bench roles.

Draymond’s shape

Over the years we’ve seen Draymond Green come to training camp in various shapes, both physical and mental. We’ve seen him out of shape and in the cliched “best shape of his life.” We’ve seen him in a great mental place, and we’ve seen him punch a teammate.

There can be no denying Green’s importance on the Dubs. Beyond his elite passing and all-world defense, he remains an emotional leader on the team. The Warriors are at their best when Dray is motivated, checked in, in control of his emotions, and in good shape. And he’s often those things when he believes in the team that the Warriors are putting on the court.

So in that sense, we’ll learn a whole lot about this Warriors team when we find out how Dray’s doing.