The 2022-23 NBA season is suddenly almost a week old, with the Golden State Warriors beginning their title defense by proving they're a legitimate threat to repeat and prompting major questions about their workable depth against playoff competition. Here are three hot takes from the Warriors' 2-1 start to the regular season.
3. Jonathan Kuminga and James Wiseman can't play together
Steve Kerr surprised in the opener, opting for a three-man frontcourt of Jonathan Kuminga, JaMychal Green and James Wiseman on Golden State's second unit against the Los Angeles Lakers. Their collective size and switchability was a major benefit versus LeBron James and Anthony Davis defensively, but cracks in that lineup's foundation were obvious if you looked closely, fracturing further in a disappointing loss to the Denver Nuggets and near-collapse win over the Sacramento Kings.
Moses Moody took Kuminga's spot in the rotation on Sunday against Sacramento, functioning as the Warriors' backup small forward. He didn't put up big numbers, but the threat Moody poses as a long-range shooter coupled with quick processing speed makes him a much better offensive fit alongside Green and Wiseman than Kuminga. Though Moody's relative lack of lateral quickness one-on-one was exposed by De'Aaron Fox in the first half on Sunday, he's still a more reliable help defender, too.
Kuminga isn't the driving force behind struggles of Golden State's bench lineups. Those labors are shared, layered and widespread.
Moody's superior shooting ability ensures the offense runs more smoothly with him at the 3 than Kuminga, and the Warriors love the veteran presence Green provides. Considering he and Wiseman currently fare best in a broadly similar offensive role and are still honing the finer points of team defense, Kuminga could find himself on the outside looking in at the rotation going forward.
As many questions as the Warriors' bench presented over the first week of the season, one answer seems even more clear than it did before the 82-game grind tipped off: Kuminga and Wiseman can't play together.
Kerr on potentially playing Jonathan Kuminga and James Wiseman simultaneously.
"They played pretty well together in the preseason…I was thinking we'd need to separate them. They've actually complimented each other well…Tonight you'll probably see them on the floor together."
— Jack Winter (@ArmstrongWinter) October 19, 2022
Golden State has been outscored by 29 points in that tandem's 28 minutes so far this season, per NBA.com/stats, with more turnovers (18) than made field goals (15). Offense has been the Warriors' biggest problem with Kuminga and Wiseman on the floor together, but defensive growing pains exist as well.
Defenders with their physical tools need to do a much better job of affecting the ball—either playing straight up or peel switching—in pick-and-roll than Kuminga and Wiseman did on the possession below.
There's no denying the incremental improvement Kuminga and Wiseman made individually coming into the season. The former is playing with real feel offensively, making a handful of value-add passes to teammates in the halfcourt over the first three games, while the latter continues opening eyes as a ball-screen finisher via powerful dunks and difficult floaters—exactly the role Kuminga is best suited for offensively until his jumper comes around.
Odds are you won't see much of Kuminga and Wiseman on the court simultaneously going forward, especially when they're paired with another big. Golden State's bench issues extend far beyond there, but separating Kuminga and Wiseman's minutes is nevertheless a smart first step toward addressing them.
2. Andrew Wiggins is better than ever
So much for Wiggins resting on his laurels after proving himself on basketball's biggest stage and getting rewarded with a nine-digit contract extension. He's picked up right where he left off from the NBA Finals during the season's earliest going, playing with the intention, decisiveness and overall intensity that leverage his rare physical tools to the fullest.
Wiggins has been easily Golden State's top on-ball defender so far, the only player on his team with a prayer at slowing down Fox on Sunday. He's making a huge impact in transition by consistently pushing the ball up the floor and sprinting ahead for backdoor layups. Wiggins has committed to rebounding just like he did during the Warriors' title run, crashing the glass with enough vigor to be whistled for several over-the-back fouls.
More than anything else, Wiggins just seems fully comfortable and confident in his role on both sides of the ball, his on-court demeanor steeled by putting championship roots down in the Bay.
Wiggins is averaging 22.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game on stellar 61.6% true shooting. That's a borderline All-NBA candidate over the full season, and Wiggins' gaudy defensive counting stats would virtually cinch him an All-Defense spot if maintained after he suffocated Jayson Tatum on the game's brightest stage in June.
Don't be surprised if those numbers come back to earth a bit, rendering Wiggins' new level of individual success more a byproduct of Golden State's system than the other way around, at least in the national narrative. The ongoing confluence of those dynamics is what really matters, though, and has Wiggins primed to play the best basketball of his career in 2022-23, perhaps even cementing himself as the Warriors' second-best player.
1. Stephen Curry is coming for his third MVP
Curry made his definitive case as the best offensive player in basketball en route to his fourth championship and first Finals MVP. A few months later, the 34-year-old hasn't only shown no signs of slowing down, but somehow seems primed to continue building on the reputation he re-established during the playoffs.
Curry has scored 100 total points on 66 field goal attempts during Golden State's 2-1 start, shooting an even 50% on twos and 44.4% from three-point range on the second-highest volume of his career. He's averaging just 4.3 assists per game, well below career norms, but Curry's importance to the Warriors' offense has never been more palpable. Golden State's offensive rating craters from a gaudy 124.8 with Curry on the floor to an anemic 81.6 with him on the bench, per NBA.com/stats.
Curry's supplementing his singular shot-making prowess with stuff like this, too.
The MVP race figures to be crowded in 2022-23.
Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo are as dominant as ever. Joel Embiid is bound to shake off early-season struggles with the new-look Philadelphia 767ers. This might just be Luka Doncic's year. Ja Morant is already staking his claim for basketball's highest individual honor despite the Memphis Grizzlies being ravaged by injuries. Damian Lillard will have a case if the undefeated Portland Trail Blazers continue surprising. Jayson Tatum seems like the favorite one week into the season.
But Curry will be right in the thick of that field if health permits, the afterglow of his mind-blowing play against the Boston Celtics in June undoubtedly swaying some voters his direction. Not that Curry needs that extra help to win his third MVP, though. Just like they did through the first week of the season, Curry's ridiculous nightly exploits will speak plenty loud to voters all by themselves.
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