The fate of the Warriors’ upcoming season hangs in the balance of one player. James Wiseman. Well, not totally, but he could be a very integral part of the team’s success should he be impactful then he returns to the lineup. Wiseman, who underwent surgery in April to help fix an injury of his meniscus in his right knee, is now on the precipice of returning to limited practice just a month before the season is slated to begin. Where does that leave the Warriors?

Well, Golden State has a variety of ways they can approach the 2021-22’ season knowing that it is more than likely that Dubnation will have to wait some time before they can see the entire roster at full strength.

Enter, Jonathan Kuminga, the 6’8 forward the Warriors selected with their 7th pick in the most recent NBA draft. With the addition of Kuminga they got a kid that can undoubtedly fill the role of basically every position on the floor. He’s lengthy and fast and can help the Warriors a ton as they begin the Quest for a 4th NBA championship in the 21st Century.

But where does he fit in the offense? With the absence of Wiseman the Warriors need a center to help anchor their defense. However, time and time again, we see how teams around the league have adopted the small ball mentality, including, of course, the Warriors. Playing five guys at once all under the height of 7 foot has become the hallmark of teams around the league. The main principal of this small ball philosophy is that you can create favorable mismatches with the opposing team and spread the floor. Kuminga seems as though he is ripe for this type of gameplay. At 6’8 he can guard almost anybody in the NBA without giving up too much height and is fast enough to run the floor with Stephen Curry and others creating mismatches for opposing teams on the offensive side of the ball.

With all this being said, We need not forget about Looney. The 6’9 center out of UCLA has been a cornerstone of championship Warriors teams of the past. Coming off of a year where he saw action in 61 games and a year prior in which he only saw action in 20. This upcoming year will be huge for future contract negotiations as well as the overall championship aspirations for the upcoming season. Plain and simple, the Warriors need a healthy Looney. The past couple of years have been riddled with injures for the big man and he has been unable to truly stay healthy for an entire season. With the 21-22 season upon us Looney will be starting the season healthy and will more than likely take over the role of the starting center position. But, as mentioned prior, Looney will have to go above and beyond what is asked of him in order to solidify his role in the starting lineup. Quite frankly, Looney, in the eyes of the public is on the hot seat. His numbers in years past have been abysmal, averaging a mere 4 points and 5 rebounds last season. The Warriors can make up that type of production elsewhere in the form of either Kuminga, JTA, or even Bjelica. The time is now for Looney to fully recognize his potential. If not, he could still provide meaningful minutes off the bench as a solid alternate to Draymond or whomever fulfills the center role without much drop off on the defensive end of the floor.

Of course, Offense is not everything, Defense is where the championship Warriors teams of the past have hung their hats and I see that being no different this upcoming year. As warriors fans, we know what we’re getting with Draymond Green on defense. That same ferocity and tenacity Draymond plays with can help the Warriors take a giant leap this season.

At the start of the season, It is safe to say the Warriors will be without Wiseman. Without a center, I personally think Green should assume the role of center. The four time defensive first teamer is more than equipped to handle the big men of the Western Conference as previously illustrated in years past.

With Draymond at center it opens up a world of possibilities for the power forward position for the Warriors. Starting Kuminga or even Juan Toscano-Anderson at PF seems like the right thing to do given the fact their speed and playmaking abilities can cause tremendous problems for most teams.

This Warriors team needs to play fast, they have Steph Curry coming off what appeared to be one of his best seasons to date. A healthy Klay Thompson slated to return sometime around Christmas and the innate ability to play small without giving up too much on the defensive end of the floor. The additions of Kuminga and Bjelica will prove to be critical as they try and navigate the turbulent Western Conference this upcoming season.

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