Editor's Note: To preview training camp and the 2005-06 season, John Hollinger addresses three key questions concerning the Warriors.
1. Will the frontcourt fail the Warriors?
If there's a weakness in the Warriors' deep rotation, it's on the front line. Four players will see the bulk of the minutes, but each has his shortcomings.
The best of the group is power forward Troy Murphy, a sweet-shooting lefty who also has a nose for rebounds. Murphy, however, is a major defensive liability because he doesn't move well and isn't a shot-blocker.
That puts added importance on the man next to him, Adonal Foyle. Foyle is Murphy's opposite -- a fantastic defensive player who has trouble making shots from beyond three inches. Both are barely adequate as starters for a team hoping to end a decade-long playoff drought.
That puts pressure on the Warriors' frontcourt of the future, Ike Diogu and Andris Biedrins. Taken with Golden State's past two first-round draft choices, both players hold tantalizing promise.
Diogu has drawn comparisons to Elton Brand for his ability to play around the basket despite being a bit short for the position (6-foot-8). Diogu will be thrown into the fire immediately.
Biedrins, meanwhile, is a 19-year-old Latvian man-child who shot 57.7 percent in limited minutes a year ago. The hope is that he can take over the center spot at some point this season and push Foyle into a more suitable reserve role.
How quickly these two come along will be a major determinant of the Warriors' success.