Predicting Warriors’ Starting Lineup and Rotation for Opening Night vs. Lakers

The Golden State Warriors will open up their season with some uncertainty due to injuries from last season. Still, they made some additions to the roster and extended their franchise cornerstone, Stephen Curry, and internally, they believe this is still a competitive team. 

The Warriors will play their season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers in Los Angeles, and their starting lineup may surprise fans because of its size. 

The starting guards will be Steph Curry and Brandin Podziemski. This is a tandem that this coaching staff has high hopes for as they look to see a breakout season from Podziemski after signing an extension. He's a player who has had his ups and downs in the NBA, but with injuries to Moses Moody and Jimmy Butler, he has more opportunities ahead. 

The small forward will likely be Yaxel Lendeborg, a rookie forward out of Michigan. Lendeborg is seen by many as a player who can come into the NBA and produce right away. He's 24 years old and has the frame to compete with NBA forwards, and his versatility was showcased in the summer league and preseason. 

Rounding out the frontcourt will likely be Gui Santos and Draymond Green. Santos is a player who has been with the Warriors for several seasons, but has yet to have a truly important role. This season, he'll get the chance to break out and propel this depleted Warriors frontcourt, as they'll be without Kristaps Porzingis. 

Coming off the bench for Golden State will likely be De'Anthony Melton and Will Richard at the guard spots. This was a spot on the roster that became an issue last season as Melton had his struggles shooting the ball. As for Will Richard, he's a young player seeing the biggest role he's played so far in his career. 

The hope is that Richard can break out and potentially be the sixth man for the Warriors this season. 

The small forward off the bench may be Gary Payton II. He's a veteran player who has a lot of continuity on this roster. Payton has been a player who has given Golden State a boost in energy with his athleticism, and he will be important for the success of the reserves. 

The second unit's frontcourt will likely consist of Georges Niang and Al Horford, two veterans who can space the floor. It will be interesting to see how they adapt to  head coach Steve Kerr's coaching style and how effective they can be playing alongside one another.