Last season the Golden State Warriors traded away star guard Monta Ellis for injured center Andrew Bogut. Bogut, formerly of the Milwaukee Bucks, had broken his ankle but the Warriors were thinking ahead to the 2012-13 NBA Season.

With the hope and expectation that Bogut will be healthy (along with guard Stephen Curry who also struggled last season with ankle problems), the Warriors believe their roster will compete for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

HOOPSWORLD takes a look at the 2012-2013 Golden State Warriors:

Five Guys Think…

If it wasn’t for the Los Angeles Lakers acquiring Steve Nash and Dwight Howard in favorable deals, there would be no question that the Golden State Warriors had the best offseason in the Pacific. They were already set to improve greatly with a healthy Andrew Bogut and Stephen Curry. Adding Carl Landry, Jarrett Jack, Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli, and Draymond Green while re-signing Brandon Rush gives them the complementary pieces they need to make a playoff push. They’re not only positioned to make a playoff push this upcoming season, they should become a perennial playoff team, something they haven’t been able to claim to be since the 70s. The Pacific belongs to the L.A. teams, but the Warriors are closer to the top than they’ve been in quite some time.

3rd Place – Pacific Division

– Yannis Koutroupis
 

The Golden State Warriors are one of the few teams in the NBA that missed the playoffs last season that can realistically hope to make it this season. If Andrew Bogut can finally get healthy and play 75+ games the Warriors will have a top five NBA center holding down the middle. Health is also a concern for Steph Curry, whose ankle has given him fits, and if he is finally ready to go the team will also have a top-ten point guard running the show. Add an impressive pool of young talent like Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes, as well as a deep veteran front court with David Lee, Carl Landry and Andris Biedrins, and the Warriors could very well grab a share of the West’s playoff picture this season.

3rd Place – Pacific Division

– Bill Ingram

 
The Golden State Warriors are a team to watch in the 2012-13 season. If they can stay healthy, they could surprise a lot of people and sneak into the playoffs. The Warriors have quietly become one of the deepest teams in the league. They have several talented players at every position. Stephen Curry and Jarrett Jack are two very good point guards, Klay Thompson and Brandon Rush form a great one-two punch at shooting guard, Harrison Barnes and Richard Jefferson will both play significant minutes at small forward, David Lee and Carl Landry are both starting-caliber power forwards, and Andrew Bogut and Andris Biedrins give Golden State two solid centers. This is a very versatile group and Mark Jackson will be able to put together plenty of interesting lineups. With the Phoenix Suns taking a step back and the Sacramento Kings still a few years away from competing, the Warriors should finish as the third-best team in the Pacific Division behind only the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. If the Warriors can get everyone on the same page, they could grab one of the final seeds in the Western Conference.

3rd Place – Pacific Division

– Alex Kennedy

 
It will be exciting to see what a healthy Andrew Bogut brings to this team, especially if he’s playing with a healthy Steph Curry. Really, “health” is the operative word for this club, because with Curry, Bogut, Klay Thompson, David Lee, and rookie Harrison Barnes, there actually is a lot to like about this Warriors team. I don’t know that they’re necessarily playoff bound, but they’ll be close, and that’s a step up from having the seventh-worst record in the league last season.

3rd Place – Pacific Division

– Joel Brigham
 

Warriors head coach Mark Jackson entered last season guaranteeing the team would make the playoffs, but injuries and inconsistency derailed those lofty goals. Golden State is clearly entering training camp with the same mission in mind, but must bank on the health of point guard Stephen Curry and center Andrew Bogut, which is not what you can consider a certainty. If healthy, there is enough talent across the roster to compete with just about every team in the league with Klay Thompson and Carl Landry being two players who could emerge. Ultimately, the on-court product will be more polished in 2013 but the postseason will once again elude Golden State.

4th Place – Pacific Division

– Lang Greene

Top Of The List

Top Offensive Player: With the Warriors outside of true playoff contention most of last season, it’s easy to overlook the contribution forward David Lee made. Lee averaged 20.1 points per game while shooting 50.3 percent from the field. He was steady from the free throw line at 78.2 percent and also collected three offensive boards a night (9.6 overall). Since coming to the Warriors, Lee hasn’t had the opportunity to play alongside a true center. The Bogut/Lee tandem should be a powerful pairing this coming season.

Top Defensive Player: The Warriors have not been known as a defensive team for a long, long time. Coach Mark Jackson came in last year with the mantra of "defense" but the squad just didn’t have the personnel to execute that vision. Now with Bogut, a noted shot-blocker, in the middle protecting the paint, that should change. Still, the team’s best individual defender is Brandon Rush who would be the guy tasked to cover perimeter stars like Kobe Bryant.

Top Playmaker: When looking to acquire a big like Bogut, the Warriors had to choose between Ellis and Stephen Curry. Curry is both a potent shooter and capable playmaker. The difficulty last year was keeping him healthy but when his ankle is sound, Curry is clearly Golden State’s best passer.

Top Clutch Player: The Warriors want the ball in Curry’s hands with the game is on the line. Either he’ll make the right play or hit the big shot. Others like David Lee and Klay Thompson (the team’s rising star) have been known to make a big shot from time to time but Curry is the go-to player in the clutch.

Top Unheralded Player: The Warriors acquired Jarrett Jack for Dorell Wright, giving them one of the best reserve point guards in the game. Jack can capably start if Curry is out, back him up or play alongside him in a smaller backcourt. While both Jack and Curry (185 lbs.) are 6’3", Jack’s build at nearly 200 lbs. makes him less of a liability defensively against taller two-guards.

Best New Addition: Golden State selected 6’8" forward Harrison Barnes out of North Carolina with the seventh pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Barnes is a capable scorer who could prove to be a major get for the Warriors. Technically Bogut is a newcomer as well since he’s yet to play.

– Eric Pincus

Who We Like

1. Andrew Bogut: It’s easy to forget that before injuries (ankle, elbow, etc.), Bogut was one of the better centers in the league. He’s not necessarily a dominant scorer, but he can impact the game on both sides of the floor as a rebounder, shot-blocker and playmaker. Bogut changes the complexion of team, as long as he’s able to get and stay healthy.

2. Stephen Curry: Like Bogut, Curry is a high impact player who has had trouble staying on the floor. When he’s right, Curry is a potent force offensively with the deadly combination of speed, playmaking and the outside shot. On his career, Curry has averaged 5.8 assists per game while shooting 44.1 percent from three-point range and 90.1 percent from the line.

3. Klay Thompson: If there’s a list of players to watch this season with "Most Improved" in mind, Klay Thompson should be near the top. Thompson is a tremendous shooter/scorer who will only benefit further with the team’s improved depth. Expect the sophomore to have a tremendous year.

4. Depth: The Warriors have balanced depth, albeit imperfect, with Jarrett Jack, Charles Jenkins and Brandon Rush in the backcourt. If Harrison Barnes starts at the three, Golden State can bring Richard Jefferson, rookie Draymond Green and Rush in at small forward. Behind David Lee is veteran forward Carl Landry, who recently signed with the club. The team will need production from either Andris Biedrins or rookie Festus Ezeli behind Bogut. Biedrins has struggled in recent years but Ezeli may surprise as a defender/shot-blocker.

5. Offense: The Warriors have been a potent offensive team for the past few years, although last season’s injuries made the team far less productive. Golden State may be roughly 10-deep in scorers, although veteran Richard Jefferson isn’t quite as prolific as he was years ago in New Jersey. Suffice to say, the Warriors will be one of the top offensive teams in the league this season.

– Eric Pincus

Strengths

The Warriors are loaded this season offensively, which isn’t necessarily something new. The difference is better balance with true center Andrew Bogut adding a needed dimension to the roster. Golden State won’t suddenly become a lockdown, grind-it-out squad, but now they may have a chance to win a few games when scoring is at a premium. All that said, the Warriors greatest strength is firepower. Both Stephen Curry and Jarrett Jack are capable playmakers. Klay Thompson, Brandon Rush, Richard Jefferson and Curry can all shoot with range. David Lee, Carl Landry and Bogut can score in the post or off loose balls and offensive rebounds. Harrison Barnes can do a bit of everything and, even as a rookie, may prove to be an impact player in the starting lineup. The 100-point-per game line shouldn’t be a problem for Golden State, they may even be able to top the 105 mark.

– Eric Pincus

Weaknesses

Historically their biggest weakness, by far, has been defense, as in they didn’t play any. Now they have a fighting chance with Bogut, complemented by players like Rush, Lee, Ezeli, etc. Now the bigger concern is health. Curry had recurring ankle problems last year that seemed to mean a newly sprained ankle every few games. Bogut isn’t necessarily injury prone but he’s had two sizable setbacks in recent years with the broken ankle and a horrible elbow injury. The Warriors, on paper, look like a playoff team. They just need to keep their talent on the floor.

– Eric Pincus

What Needs To Be Said On Opening Day….

The theme for this year will be role definition. Our group has real potential if everyone plays to their strengths and accepts their role. For Andrew, that means anchoring us on the defensive end of the floor. Our shooters, Richard, Harrison and Klay, must focus on keeping the floor spread on offense. David has to set the tone on the glass and Brandon must be willing to step up and be our stopper on defense. If we put all the talents that you possess as individuals together in the right way – without anyone trying to do more than they are capable of – this team has a chance to be very good. But it will take discipline from each and every individual to play within themselves all season long.

– Anthony Macri and Brett Koremenos

The Burning Question

Can the Warriors stay healthy?

The Warriors are going to score in bunches. They may not have the best defensive squad in the league, but they may have the best defensive team they’ve had in years. The team has depth and is balanced with Thompson alongside Curry instead of a diminutive backcourt with Ellis. The competition atop of the Western Conference may be out of the Warriors’ range but they should be in contention for one of the bottom three playoff seeds.

Of course, that assumes that both Curry and Bogut play most of the year. A few games off here and there is manageable with almost any player, but the Warriors can’t afford to have those two in street clothes for any significant length of time.

– Eric Pincus