A surprising Warriors lineup that could play important minutes

The 2024-25 NBA season marks a new era for the Golden State Warriors, as this upcoming campaign will be the first without Klay Thompson on the roster for the first time in 13 years.

Well, that's not exactly true, as Thompson, who's now with the Dallas Mavericks, missed the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons with knee and Achilles issues, but this genuinely feels different. This season's roster will also not include Chris Paul, as Golden State chose to release the future Hall of Famer after one year instead of paying him the $30 million it would have taken to keep him.

While plenty of familiar faces will still surround Stephen Curry, most notably Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, and, of course, Draymond Green, there are also several new ones, as Golden State used trades and free agency to bring in Buddy Hield, De'Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, and Lindy Waters III.

Overall, the Warriors are much deeper than they were a season ago, even with Thompson and Paul now playing elsewhere. And while that's never a bad thing, it does create some interesting issues for head coach Steve Kerr, who has been tinkering with the starting lineup throughout the preseason.

But while the minutes played by the starting lineup, whatever that may be from game to game (and it will change), obviously matter, the minutes that may end up mattering more are the ones when Curry needs a rest.

Buddy Hield will lead the Warriors' second unit

Set for his franchise-record 16th year with the Dubs, Curry averaged 32.7 minutes per game a season ago, his lowest total since 2017-18, not including the 2019-20 campaign in which he broke his left hand during the fourth game of the year and only appeared in one more game the rest of the season.

One would think the 36-year-old will play roughly the same amount this season, but there's a chance it could be even less. As such, that's about a third of the game that the Warriors will need others to step up. And this is the lineup that might have to carry that weight.

• PG: De'Anthony Melton
• SG: Buddy Hield
• SF: Moses Moody
• PF: Jonathan Kuminga
• C: Trayce Jackson-Davis

The key component here is Buddy Hield, who may start from time to time but will likely spend most of the season in the sixth-man role. The Warriors will likely once again be among the league leaders in three-point attempts, and Hield has made plenty during his career.

In fact, since he came into the league in 2016-17, his 1,924 makes from beyond the arc are the second-most in the NBA, behind only Curry's 2,154. So, Hield will certainly be expected to pick up some of the scoring slack when No. 30 is on the bench.

De'Anthony Melton and Moses Moody, the latter of whom has led the Warriors in scoring during their 5-0 run in the preseason, will certainly put up a few triples as well. Melton's defensive presence will also be crucial. He's averaged a solid 1.4 steals per game during his career, so that will undoubtedly be helpful.

While Jonathan Kuminga will likely be in the starting lineup most nights, don't be surprised to see him get some solid minutes with this second unit as well. The team's third-leading scorer a season ago behind the Splash Brothers, Kuminga has had a strong preseason, averaging 13.0 points on 52.3% shooting from the floor in 21.9 minutes per game.

Many believe Kuminga is primed for a big season, and getting some extra shot attempts with this unit will only help his numbers.

Trayce Jackson-Davis is technically listed as a power forward, he will see plenty of time in the center position. He's not a big offensive option, but he did manage to put up 7.9 points in just 16.6 minutes per game last season, shooting a team-best 70.2% from the floor. So, he rounds out this group nicely.

The Warriors will kick off their 2024-25 season on the road next Wednesday, October 23, against the Portland Trail Blazers.