10 Questions for the Warriors as the 2015-16 Season Kicks Off

1.       Will their health hold up? They have excellent depth, but an injury to a key player can still cause a major problem. Also, what will happen with Steve Kerr’s back and how will that affect the team?

2.       Do they still have the hunger—the desperate need-to-win mentality? This isn’t enough to win a title, but it often tips highly contested series one way or the other. Sometimes it’s hard to sustain after a championship as complacency and individualism can grow.

3.       Will Klay continue to get better at driving to the hoop and will he have an answer if refs allow continuous fouling like they often did in the playoffs? If he gets better in these areas, they will likely be a better team, and he should still have room to grow.

4.       Will the talk about one of the 5 best teams in league history being "lucky" to win the title fuel their fire as they look to repeat? Luck is often involved with championship runs and players know it, but the Warriors should feel disrespected since they destroyed the league last year, rather than winning a fluke title. This might ward off any sense of complacency.

5.       Will Bogut be prepared to score more if needed? If he is treated as a non-scoring threat on offense, he needs to make teams pay. If he can run the system like last year, but be ready to score if he is disregarded, the Warriors will be even more dangerous.

6.       Will Dray still have a chip on his shoulder and be the straw that stirs the drink for this team (after getting his big payday)? I think so; I’m pretty sure that’s in his DNA.

7.       Will they cut down on turnovers while maintaining the creativity and flow of their offense? This is Kerr’s #1 point of emphasis, as it’s their achilles' heel. It’s one area where the MVP can get even better.

8.       Will the refs stop calling fouls in the postseason and does that help or hurt them? They probably will in some games. And it depends on the matchup as the Warriors are both highly skilled and highly physical (loose officiating usually helps the less skilled team). Hopefully it does not determine the outcome of their season and the championship, which has happened in the past.

9.       Are they the title favorites? Probably not, even if they are the best team. The East is extremely weak once again. The Cavs should have no trouble winning it and can compete in the Finals against the other elite teams, giving them the highest chance of winning. The Spurs and Thunder have the potential to be elite teams. The Rockets, Clippers, and Grizzlies should be very good and are potentially great. The Western conference is still loaded.

10.   But will they repeat? Best defense in the league, best shooter in the history of the sport, another year under a system that utilizes their talent…if everything breaks the right way, they will win the title, regardless of what anyone else does. They definitely have the highest ceiling. But if they have injury woes, setbacks, etc., they will likely be in the mix with the Cavs, Thunder, Spurs, and maybe the Rockets or another team to win it all, with no team having a huge advantage.