[OutsiderFan]

First team: Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Green, Looney. If I'm not mistaken, this was the best fivesome in the NBA last year in terms of points scored vs. points given up.

Maybe, but it will also be one of the oldest with all the brittleness, injury history, and rest days that suggests.  Steph and Klay in particular will need to be rested if we expect a play-off run.  Good thing their back-up guards are young and healthy .... Oh, wait that's oft injured Chris Paul (39) and Garry Payton II (30).  Nevermind.

The Warriors will need an amazing streak of good health plus good play from unexpected sources to challenge in the West.  Could it happen?  Sure.  Is it likely to happen?  As a fan I'll be pulling for this but ... doubtful.  We've seen this story before. 

Curry           35 years (ankle concerns, suspect defense)
Thompson    33 years. (ACL, Achilles, no longer able to guard top back court players, will turn 34 during season)
Wiggins        28
Green          33 years (still great but lost a step)
Looney.        27 years (but multiple hip and hamstring injuries have hampered him since his first NBA season)

These same arguments can be made for almost every contending team in the NBA. Let me show how easy this is with the Western contenders...

Nuggets - Michael Porter Jr and Jamal Murray have injury history
Lakers - LeBron is 38 (older than Chris Paul) and Anthony Davis will be 31 next playoff season and injury prone
Suns - Durant is 35 with injury history, Beal and Booker have injury history
Clippers - Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are constantly hurt, and Westbrook will be 35 this season
Pelicans - Zion Williamson remains more of an idea than reality due to his injury history

The Kings and Grizzlies are the only top contenders without chronically injured and/or old players, but Morant has an injury history. The Eastern contenders have similar age and/or injury realities, and even the younger healthier teams can be struck by injury at any time.


The key for the Warriors will be to spread minutes around more generously. Nobody should be playing more than 30 minutes per game and Chris Paul in particular should not average more than 20 minutes per game. He can come in for Curry after 8-10 minutes of 1st quarter, then play half the 2nd quarter, then something similar in second half. This would put Curry at roughly 30 mins per game and Paul at about roughly 18 minutes per game.

This will shave almost 5 MPG off Curry's career and '22-'23 average and a whopping 16 MPG off Paul's career average and 14 off his '22-'23 average. I think we can see why Curry and Paul like the arrangement.

Over a season, not including rest days or games missed due to injury - this would save Curry almost 400 minutes and Paul almost 1,300 minutes of wear. Paul will benefit greatly from a reduced workload leading the W's second unit, and so too will the W's as a team.

[OutsiderFan]

First team: Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Green, Looney. If I'm not mistaken, this was the best fivesome in the NBA last year in terms of points scored vs. points given up.

Maybe, but it will also be one of the oldest with all the brittleness, injury history, and rest days that suggests.  Steph and Klay in particular will need to be rested if we expect a play-off run.  Good thing their back-up guards are young and healthy .... Oh, wait that's oft injured Chris Paul (39) and Garry Payton II (30).  Nevermind.

The Warriors will need an amazing streak of good health plus good play from unexpected sources to challenge in the West.  Could it happen?  Sure.  Is it likely to happen?  As a fan I'll be pulling for this but ... doubtful.  We've seen this story before. 

Curry           35 years (ankle concerns, suspect defense)
Thompson    33 years. (ACL, Achilles, no longer able to guard top back court players, will turn 34 during season)
Wiggins        28
Green          33 years (still great but lost a step)
Looney.        27 years (but multiple hip and hamstring injuries have hampered him since his first NBA season)

These same arguments can be made for almost every contending team in the NBA. Let me show how easy this is with the Western contenders...

Nuggets - Michael Porter Jr and Jamal Murray have injury history
Lakers - LeBron is 38 (older than Chris Paul) and Anthony Davis will be 31 next playoff season and injury prone
Suns - Durant is 35 with injury history, Beal and Booker have injury history
Clippers - Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are constantly hurt, and Westbrook will be 35 this season
Pelicans - Zion Williamson remains more of an idea than reality due to his injury history

The Kings and Grizzlies are the only top contenders without chronically injured and/or old players, but Morant has an injury history. The Eastern contenders have similar age and/or injury realities, and even the younger healthier teams can be struck by injury at any time.


The key for the Warriors will be to spread minutes around more generously. Nobody should be playing more than 30 minutes per game and Chris Paul in particular should not average more than 20 minutes per game. He can come in for Curry after 8-10 minutes of 1st quarter, then play half the 2nd quarter, then something similar in second half. This would put Curry at roughly 30 mins per game and Paul at about roughly 18 minutes per game.

This will shave almost 5 MPG off Curry's career and '22-'23 average and a whopping 16 MPG off Paul's career average and 14 off his '22-'23 average. I think we can see why Curry and Paul like the arrangement.

Over a season, not including rest days or games missed due to injury - this would save Curry almost 400 minutes and Paul almost 1,300 minutes of wear. Paul will benefit greatly from a reduced workload leading the W's second unit, and so too will the W's as a team.