NBA Rumors: Warriors Will Make Most Out Of Former Top Pick

The Golden State Warriors have been written off by many although pundits feel that this would be unwise. Some feel that the Dubs will still be up there even with the exit of Kevin Durant and the fact that Klay Thompson will be out for most of the 2019-20 NBA season.

The Warriors were not that active in the offseason although they did nab D'Angelo Russell. Initially seen as a temporary replacement while Thompson recuperates from his ACL injury, pundits have expressed varying opinions on how second overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft will blend into the system of head coach Steve Kerr.

Regardless of what most say, Kerr said that Russell will play a huge part for the Warriors this coming season. In an interview conducted by Ben Golliver of the Washington Post, it appears that the Dubs will be expecting the 23-year-old guard to do a lot of scoring, pretty much similar to what he did when he broke out with the Brooklyn Nets last season.

"I'm excited to coach him, he's a great young talent," Kerr told reporters in Vegas. "I think he's going to fit right in with our group and we're gonna need him desperately, without Klay especially."

But of course, Kerr was only referring to the coming NBA season. Once Thompson is back in harness, it could be a totally different story. The good news is that some NBA vets were able to adjust to the system of the Warriors and co-exist with top stars like Thompson, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green. It remains to be seen if Russell will also do the same.

For those who are familiar with Russell's history, he had his share of falling out with former teammates. That included snitching on Nick Young, ironically a former Golden State Warrior. This happened way back in 2016 when Russell pranked Young into talking about cheating on Iggy Azalea. The whole thing was recorded, ESPN reported.

Of course, a lot has changed since then with Russell blossoming into the star most initially saw him to be. He still has his share of mischief off the court and this is something the Warriors will have to deal with.

Other than that, there is a reason to follow the Warriors this season even with the exodus of key players. As mentioned in a previous post, Green said it would be foolish to count out the Warriors seeing how they have been known to buck the odds and come out shining in the past.