Golden State Warriors

Three questions the Warriors face heading into training camp

Published Sep. 28, 2015 4:00 p.m. ET

Jovan Buha

With training camp about to tip off, here’s what to watch for as your favorite team prepares for the 2015-16 season. Some of these questions will be answered quickly; others could linger into the regular season. Either way, here are three things that will define the first month of this new season:

Will the Warriors suffer from complacency?

It's the fear of every defending champion. Will there be enough motivation for a second title? Could a bigger target on their backs hinder them from catching teams by surprise? Everyone will be circling the Dubs on their calendar this season, and they're going to have to figure out a way to improve the league's best defense and second-best offense. Luckily most of their core is 27 and under, so growth and improvement is likely.

Will Harrison Barnes' contract situation serve as a distraction?

The Warriors pride themselves on sacrificing for the good of the team -- just look at Andre Iguodala accepting a bench role during the season or Andrew Bogut agreeing to give up his starting spot in the Finals -- and Barnes' current mindset seems to go against that ethos. If he truly wants as much money as possible, it's most likely not going to come from the Warriors. That's fine, as everyone is entitled to chase the type of career they covet, but it could potentially cause turmoil within the locker room of a close-knit group.

How will the Dubs fare with much tougher competition?

The West is better, which is borderline I fathomable. The Spurs added LaMarcus Aldridge; the Thunder have a healthy Kevin Durant; the Clippers, Rockets and Grizzlies are deeper; and the Pelicans are healthy and have a rapidly improving Anthony Davis on their hands. The Warriors are, on paper, the best team in the league, but it's unlikely they win 67 games and have a top-two offense and defense. Given their healthy and fairly easy path to the Finals -- they didn't play the Spurs or Clippers, the only two teams with realistic odds of beating them -- it remains to be seen how they'll do in the face of true adversity (though the Grizzlies series counts, of course). No one really punched the Warriors in the mouth last season; how will they respond?