2021 Golden State Warriors Depth Chart
| # | # | # | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point Guard |  Stephen Curry | 30 |  Nico Mannion | 2 |  Mychal Mulder | 15 |
| Shooting Guard |  Kelly Oubre Jr. | 12 |  Damion Lee | 1 |  Klay Thompson* | 11 |
| Small Forward |  Andrew Wiggins | 22 |  Kent Bazemore | 26 |  Jordan Poole | 3 |
| Power Forward |  Draymond Green | 23 |  Eric Paschall | 7 | ||
| Center | James Wiseman | 33 |  Kevon Looney | 5 |
After winning another NBA championship, their third in the last four years, the Golden State Warriors didn’t have a lot to worry about heading into the offseason. Kevin Durant’s impending free agency was an issue, of course, but the front office didn’t seem overly concerned that he would be leaving and he chose to sign with them once again. With four returning All-Stars, along with young guys like Bell and Looney getting another year under their belt, the Warriors didn’t need to do much else in free agency. They chose to make a splash, however, by signing All-Star DeMarcus Cousins to a very team friendly deal that will allow him to work himself back from injury over time. They added Jacob Evans, a shooting guard out of Cincinnati, with the 28th pick in the draft and have been working through contract negotiations with Patrick McCaw to re-sign the young guard to a long-term deal. They did have to say goodbye to David West, which will hurt their depth a bit, but with the offseason out of the way, and another All-Star addition, the Warriors will set their sights on their toughest opponent of the upcoming season, boredom.
All-Star Stephen Curry returns from a season in which he appeared in just 51 games to lead the defending NBA champions on their quest for the fourth title in five years. Curry averaged 26.4 points and 6.1 assists per game last season, and did so shooting 49.5 percent from the floor, but will probably spend several games resting throughout the year. Rest will be a common theme for the Warriors, which will test their depth quite a bit, but with veteran Shaun Livingston and Quinn Cook behind Curry, point guard is not a position they have to worry too much about. Cook should get plenty of opportunities this season after providing the Warriors with much needed minutes last year and averaging 9.5 points per game. With Klay Thompson at shooting guard, the Warriors get an excellent playmaker and three-point shooter that is one of the best defenders in the NBA. Until Patrick McCaw re-signs with the team, Jacob Evans is going to be listed as the team’s backup shooting guard which should have Warriors fans worried. If McCaw does indeed sign with the team before the season kicks off, expect him to slide into the backup shooting guard role.
The Warriors are likely to be tested when it comes to depth at the small forward position but All-Star Kevin Durant and veteran Andre Iguodala will occupy the majority of minutes at the position. Durant returns after averaging 26.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game last season. It is expected that Durant will rest a decent number of games this season, along with Curry, Thompson, and Green, which is when their depth could be tested. Andre Iguodala’s importance to the team was put on display during the playoffs last season but he isn’t someone that can be relied on for 82 games at this point in his career. Patrick McCaw and Shaun Livingston will likely see minutes as the team’s “small forward” at times but keep an eye on Damion Lee as someone that could emerge from training camp as an option. The Warriors are pretty deep at power forward with Draymond Green leading the bunch and Kevon Looney and Jonas Jerebko playing behind him. Green’s ability to play the center position at times will come in handy until DeMarcus Cousins is able to play big minutes which would mean that Looney and Jerebko could see significant minutes throughout the season.
The signing of DeMarcus Cousins represented very little risk for the Warriors but could have massive rewards. Cousins is certainly an All-Star caliber player but he is coming off an injury that he may never fully recover from and there are questions about how his personality will fit with this team. All of that aside, Cousins is a phenomenal talent that brings depth to a position of weakness for the Warriors. Golden State will have issues when it comes to bench performance, and when players are resting, so having someone that can operate as a ball-handler and stretch the floor with perimeter shooting is something that Steve Kerr needs. Jordan Bell could end up starting the season as the team’s starting center, considering Cousins likely won’t be ready, but could eventually move to the bench when Cousins is full-strength. Bell was outstanding for the Warriors last season, averaging 4.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, and gives the Warriors an excellent option throughout the season.