Predicting The Golden State Warriors' Final Roster, Depth Chart For 2016-17

In less than a month, the Golden State Warriors’ 2016-17 campaign will tip off. When that time comes, what will their 15-man roster and depth chart look like?

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Coming off their second straight NBA Finals appearance, the Golden State Warriors are understandably under a lot of pressure to make it three in a row in 2016-17. The offseason addition of Kevin Durant only elevated the expectations.

Still, based on the look of this roster, it’s not at all out of the question.

The starting lineup is as great as ever, with three starters returning and a former MVP entering the mix. The depth was depleted a bit during 2016 free agency, but the Warriors have never had trouble reloading with young prospects.

That should continue to be the case moving forward, assuming they can find some stability at center.

So what will the roster look like when the season opener rolls around on October 25? No one outside of the organization knows, but we can surely speculate as the Warriors’ slate of preseason games moves along. It’s not like there’s room for too many surprises at this point.

With that in mind, here’s my take on how the Warriors’ roster and depth chart could look on Day 1 of the 2016-17 NBA season.

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Point Guard

1. Stephen Curry
2. Shaun Livingston
3. Phil Pressey

The Warriors return the two-time reigning MVP to the point guard position. Stephen Curry has quickly developed into one of the NBA’s true superstars, and he’ll continue to fill that role this season.

Even with Golden State’s surprise offseason addition, Curry will remain the go-to guy in this lineup.

Even when he’s not on the court, the Warriors possess an exceptional backup in Shaun Livingston. While he’s getting up there in age and doesn’t offer much from deep, the 31-year-old combo guard is an integral part of the second unit.

He brings immense value with his smart, instinctive play and ability to play both guard positions.

However, even with those two, I still think the Warriors hold on to a third point guard to start the year. That means veteran Phil Pressey makes the roster–likely as the 15th and final man. He shouldn’t see much action, but cracks the final roster nonetheless.

His experience and scrappy play should help him stick around, at least for the short term.

There won’t be too many surprises coming from this group–just a ton of production.

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Shooting Guard

1. Klay Thompson
2. Ian Clark
3. Patrick McCaw

Again, there’s little question about who the starting shooting guard will be. Klay Thompson is one of the stars of the show for Golden State, and will use his elite shooting abilities to keep it that way in 2016-17.

The bigger issue here is determining who will handle the majority of the minutes behind him.

Right now, the logical option would be Ian Clark. He already has experience in this system, although he only saw limited playing time as part of the Warriors’ bench a year ago. Still, he showed improvement and should get the first shot at securing a role with the second unit.

Don’t be surprised, however, if rookie Patrick McCaw eats into his minutes at some point this season. The 2016 second-round pick out of UNLV has surprised early during his time with Golden State.

He flashed serious potential in the preseason opener, and could easily earn consistent minutes if he keeps his momentum rolling into the regular season.

There are some other options currently vying for a roster spot, but Cameron Jones and Elliot Williams don’t possess the potential of McCaw.

Who didn’t make the cut: Cameron Jones, Elliot Williams

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Small Forward

1. Kevin Durant
2. Andre Iguodala

Is there any question who will be the starting small forward for the Warriors this season?

Golden State didn’t spend a ton of money this offseason to not make Kevin Durant the co-star of this squad. While Curry may still be the top dog on this team, Durant is No. 1a and will be given every opportunity to wreak havoc this season.

Behind him will be Andre Iguodala, arguably one of the NBA’s best sixth men. He’s an excellent veteran presence in the second unit, bringing explosive scoring and plus defense to the court on a nightly basis.

Even with Durant ahead of him on the depth chart, Iguodala will play a big part in the Warriors’ attempt to make the NBA Finals for a third straight year.

With two stars at the position, I don’t see much need for them to worry about depth. Instead, they’ll stick with two small forwards considering they have some versaility at other positions.

Who didn’t make the cut: Elgin Cook, Scott Wood

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Power Forward

1. Draymond Green
2. David West
3. Kevon Looney
4. James Michael McAdoo

Another position, another unquestioned starter.

Draymond Green returns for another go-around as the Warriors’ heart and soul in the paint. He’s a tenacious, high-intensity player who breathes life into this team. As his game continues to evolve, we should start to see him excel even more–especially with Durant by his side.

One of Golden State’s other offseason additions, David West, should slide in as Green’s primary backup. The 13-year veteran brings experience, toughness and leadership to the second unit.

He shouldn’t have too much trouble contributing for the Warriors after playing well in limited minutes for the San Antonio Spurs last season.

With only two small forwards, I decided to go with four power forwards for Golden State. While Green is a reliable starter, West can’t handle a ton of minutes. The Warriors need more bodies to pitch in from time to time, especially with the lack of established depth in the front court.

Kevon Looney is coming off hip surgery, but appears ready to go after missing most of his rookie campaign. Assuming he stays healthy, the 2015 first-round pick should start to earn a role as the season progresses.

That leaves James Michael McAdoo, who should remain in his normal end-of-the-bench role in 2016-17. I wouldn’t expect too much from him this season, but he can usually hold his own when thrust into action.

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Center

1. Zaza Pachulia
2. Anderson Varejao
3. Damian Jones

The Warriors definitely took a step back at center this offseason, losing Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli to free agency. Both were excellent rim protectors, which isn’t exactly a strong suit of Zaza Pachulia’s. However, he’s far from a poor starting option.

Pachulia was an underrated asset for the Dallas Mavericks a year ago, averaging 8.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field. While the injury-prone center’s minutes and production should decline in Golden State, he’s still a capable starter.

Anderson Varejao comes back, and will take over as the No. 2 center. It’s not an exciting situation for the Warriors to be in, as the veteran is on the back end of his career. Especially after a back injury limited him this offseason, I wouldn’t expect great things from Varejao in 2016-17.

More than likely, he’ll be pushed for minutes by Damian Jones. The rookie big man is still working his way back from a pectoral injury, and may have to start the season wearing a suit on game days.

However, when he’s healthy, he should provide the Warriors will an intriguing No. 3 option at center.

Who didn’t make the cut: JaVale McGee

So there it is–my vision for how the Warriors’ roster and depth chart will look when the regular season tips off on Oct. 25.