What should we expect from the new, spaced-out Warriors roster?

SAN FRANCISCO – When drawing up plays this season, Steve Kerr’s whiteboard might seem a little bigger than in years past.

After years of working around rosters bogged down by non-shooters who cramped the dimensions of the court, the Warriors will be living in a rare open floor plan in San Francisco. 

“I think we’ll have better spacing than we’ve had, 1 through 5, since I’ve been here,” Kerr marveled on Tuesday. 

A quick look at the roster reveals why. 

Golden State signed restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga to a two-year deal on Tuesday evening, concluding a saga that lasted through the summer. 

Kuminga will rejoin what general manager Mike Dunleavy believes is a top-notch roster. 

“This team heading into the season has got a great shot,” Dunleavy said. “That’s where you want to be when Steve Kerr is your coach, Steph Curry is your best player and you have guys like Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green and so on and so forth.”

Once the Warriors completed that move, they officially signed center Al Horford and combo guard De’Anthony Melton. They have also reportedly agreed to terms with Steph Curry’s younger brother Seth.

All are capable of shooting the ball, but Horford’s talents as a sniper at center are the most intriguing. 

“Al’s versatility, and the fact that he fits into any lineup, just makes him hugely valuable right away,” Kerr said on Wednesday.

After entering training camp with just nine players on the roster, Golden State now has 21 players under contract. 

With the roster more or less finalized, which position is the strongest?

Point guard

Superstar Steph Curry, coming off a season in which he made an all-NBA team and averaged 24.5 points per game, continues to chug along as the Warriors’ franchise point guard and most terrifying scorer. 

Behind him, the team does not have a traditional backup, with Melton – who will miss at least the first few games of the season as he rehabs from a torn ACL – capable of guarding small ballhandlers but is not a natural playmaker. 

However, Butler averaged 5.9 assists per game and has proven that he can be a lead ballhandler for Finals teams. Though he will spend most of his time guarding wings and forwards, Butler will handle the ball plenty. 

Behind him is Brandin Podziemski, who can run point in a pinch, as well as fringe players Pat Spencer and LJ Cryer.

Shooting guard

This is perhaps the team’s most muddled position. Brandin Podziemski, who became the team’s full-time starter in the second half of the season, is expected to take another step in his development after averaging 11.7 points per game in his sophomore campaign. 

When Melton returns, he should toggle between the guard positions and bring a level of defensive acumen none of the other guards possess. 

When Kerr wants shooting, he will have plenty of it coming off the bench, as both Buddy Hield and Seth Curry routinely shoot over 40% from 3-point land. While neither is known for consistency, they certainly provide value as flamethrowers who can flip a game in a hurry. 

Small Forward

Though always an option as a skilled power forward in small-ball lineups, Butler figures to play more small forward with the addition of Horford and Kuminga’s return. The midrange maestro and free-throw-drawing extraordinaire is a classic small forward, with a well-rounded skillset capable of filling almost any role. 

Moses Moody, like Podziemski, was an entrenched starter during the Warriors’ second-half surge. Kerr recently said he sees Moody as being more involved as a screener on the offensive side of the ball while also keeping up his improved scoring. 

Behind him, high-energy wing Gui Santos always finds a way to grab a few offensive boards, and Gary Payton II can still be an elite man-to-man defender in certain situations. Rookie second-rounder Will Richard might have a chance to showcase his 3-and-D skillset on certain nights. 

Power forward

So maybe shooting guard is not the most murky position. Kuminga, with his limitless athleticism, questionable shot selection and hypothetically incredible talents, could be the starter at power forward after signing his new $46.5 million, two-year deal. 

But that is likely not to be the case.

“We’re going to run our offense through Steph and Jimmy,” Kerr said. “With JK, the more he can defend with activity, rebound, run the floor, and then there’s a better chance he has to play.”

Though Green might still play the playmaking center role that he made famous, Kerr has made it obvious that the team hopes to play the 35-year-old more at power forward, where the Defensive Player of the Year contender is free to fly around. 

Summer League standout Jackson Rowe can shoot and is a willing defender, while rookie Alex Toohey could get spot minutes as a player on a two-way contract.

Center

Horford, even at 39, is still a potent option in the middle, albeit in limited minutes. He played 60 games for Boston and averaged 27.7 minutes per game, but at this stage of his career, should not be expected to play back-to-backs. 

Green will also get minutes at center in certain matchups, but the Warriors also have a pair of more traditional centers as options. 

Quinten Post is a classic stretch big, shooting 40.8% from behind the arc as a rookie. Trayce Jackson-Davis, also 25, is a rim-runner who claims to have slimmed down to around 245 pounds.