Warriors Players Who Can Benefit Most from Strong Training Camp Performances

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Two things need to happen for the Golden State Warriors to compete for an NBA title this season.

First, Klay Thompson must return to his pre-injury level or something very close to it. That might be a tall ask of a 31-year-old who has had the past two seasons erased by injuries (first a torn ACL, then a torn Achilles), but the Dubs’ championship formula can’t compute without it.

Second, the Warriors must get better-than-expected contributions from their supporting cast or package several players from it in a trade for an established star.

Since the trade is merely a hypothetical, let’s focus on what we know about these Warriors while spotlighting the players with the most to gain at training camp.

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The idea of a healthy Otto Porter Jr. should fascinate Warriors fans.

When he’s right, the 28-year-old is exactly the kind of player they’d want to support the stars. He splashes open shots, defends multiple positions and keeps the ball moving when he doesn’t have a look.

However, Porter hasn’t been right in quite some time. He played all of 28 games last season. The year before, it was 14. He last cleared the 60-game mark in 2017-18.

If the Georgetown product looks healthy at camp, though, then it’s time to let the imaginations run wild.

There’s a scenario in which Porter averages somewhere near 30 minutes and is part of the closing group—if not the starting five. But if he’s slow out of the gate, he could open the door for Golden State’s young forwards to leapfrog him on the depth chart.

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The Warriors will be careful about asking too much, too soon from 2021 lottery picks Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.

At the same time, this rotation is constructed in a way that either one (or both) could quickly climb the ladder if they prove they’re ready for major minutes.

With or without a healthy Thompson, the Warriors could use more shooting and defense on the perimeter. Moody’s three-and-D game could be perfect. Kuminga’s explosion is unmatched on this roster, and coach Steve Kerr could really get creative with his frontcourt rotations by moving Kuminga around the 4 and small-ball 5 spots.

However, since the Warriors are responsible for managing the remainder of Stephen Curry’s prime, they won’t give their rookies minutes just for the sake of playing time. Those opportunities must be earned, and that challenge really gets started at camp.

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Juan Toscano-Anderson entered last season at a relative unknown and exited it as a fan favorite.

The Oakland, California native endeared himself to the fans (and the coaching staff) with hard-nosed defense and infectious energy. As an added bonus, he even capitalized on his offensive chances, compiling a 57.9/40.2/71.0 shooting slash and more than doubling his 1.2 turnovers with 2.8 assists.

The 28-year-old earned the 20.9 minutes and 16 starts he received, but the competition wasn’t as fierce as it could be this season. The Warriors were undermanned for the entire 2020-21 campaign. They hope that won’t be the case this time around.

He has the ability and approach to keep his rotation spot and maybe even build on it. But a player who thrives on versatility and doesn’t pop on the stat sheet is always at risk of getting lost in the shuffle, and Golden State has more frontcourt options than before.

Toscano-Anderson’s challenge, then, is the same as it’s always been: Proving he belongs in an NBA rotation.