The Warriors enter the 2019-20 season under unique circumstances. The roster looks completely different as the team enters its first season at Chase Center with Klay Thompson healing from a torn ACL and Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston having departed the Bay. The changes has prompted some observers to write off Golden State's postseason chances.
For the Warriors to prove those predictions untrue, here are eight things that need to go right during the regular season.
Take advantage of the early schedule
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While the Warriors will play 15 of their first 24 games away from Chase Center, nine of those games will come against teams that did not make the playoffs.
There will be early tests, including opening night against the Los Angeles Clippers, a matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 4 and a road date with the Houston Rockets two days later. The Warriors also will see the Jazz three times before the New Year as well as face the Celtics at home.
The longest trip of 2019 will come around Thanksgiving when Golden State goes East for the first time, playing Miami, Orlando, Atlanta and Charlotte before finishing against Chicago.
For the Warriors, these trips are imperative for a team looking to win as many games as possible while Klay Thompson works his way back from injury (more on that in a bit).
Golden State Warriors
D'Angelo Russell/Steph backcourt
The Warriors were gifted the best consolation prize of the summer when D'Angelo Russell was acquired in a sign-and-trade with Brooklyn in a deal that sent Durant to the Nets.
Russell's talent could help the Warriors stay afloat through the onset of the season as the team works to gel. Last season in Brooklyn, Russell averaged 21.1 points and seven assists in 81 games, making his first All-Star team.
Russell's arrival will force Golden State to make key adjustments offensively. Known as a pick-and-roll initiator, Russell's style will clash with the Warriors' motion offense. To help with his transition, Russell has been working out with Steph Curry and Draymond Green in recent months to get a hang of his role within the offense. With Russell, the Warriors will have offensive firepower, but integrating the young star will be vital during the early portion of the season.
Defense
Durant's sign and trade forced the Warriors to part ways with Andre Iguodala, one of the team's best defenders. With Durant and Iguodala gone and Thompson out extended time, the Warriors will be without three of their best defenders from last season.
Even with Durant, Iguodala and Thompson in the fold, the team's defense has lagged in recent years. After never falling lower than sixth in defensive rating under coach Steve Kerr, the Warriors finished 11th in each of the last two seasons, respectively. Last season -- armed with historically great talent -- the team routinely would miss defensive rotations during the regular season as it trudged to 57 wins. This season, the Warriors will need to regain their defensive identity.
Draymond Green: DPOY
In order to regain their defensive prowess, Green will need to regain his status as the best defender in the league.
Over the last two regular seasons, Green -- who dealt with a variety of injuries -- has admitted conserving energy for deep playoff runs. In the years following his Defensive Player of the Year award in 2017, he's had the lowest defensive ratings of his career as he missed a combined 30 games.
This season -- months after signing a long-term extension -- he'll have to return to his output from the early years of his career.
Redemption
With the signing of Russell severely limiting Golden State's cap space, the Warriors added eight new players mostly on minimum deals, including some reclamation projects hoping to revitalize their careers on short term deals.
While Willie Cauley-Stein had his best year as a pro last season, the big man has built up a reputation of being inconsistent. He doesn't agree with the label, but he acknowledged the Warriors' culture could help him during his tenure while at summer league.
Meanwhile, a series of stress fractures limited Alec Burks to just 100 games from 2014 through 2016, and he has not played 75 games in a season since 2013-14. Last year, Burks was traded three times and finished year with the Kings. In 13 games with Sacramento, he averaged just 1.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists.
Omari Spellman -- who was acquired in a trade for Damian Jones -- was good enough to be a first-round draft pick, but his struggles with weight derailed his brief stint with the Atlanta Hawks. If each player can make a jump this season, the Warriors postseason chances will be a whole lot bigger.
Rapid growth from young players
In recent years, the Warriors have struggled to find consistency in young players not named Kevon Looney. To combat the issue, Golden State drafted three players -- Jordan Poole, Eric Paschall and Alex Smailagić -- and Golden State hopes all three will contribute right away.
In Las Vegas Summer League, Poole -- Golden State's first-round draft pick ---- showed promise towards that goal, averaging 17.8 points, including a 12-point performance against Denver, helping Golden State overcome a 17-point deficit to beat the Nuggets 73-69 in their final preliminary round game.
Meanwhile, Paschall impressed during the California Classic, shooting 61 percent from the field, including an 18-point, 6-of-8 performance in a loss to the Lakers.
Smailagić oozes potential, but the Warriors will take a slower approach in his development. In Vegas, the 18-year old simultaneously showed why he's worth the contract, while also giving reminders of the work needed to earn playing time. He showed flashes with his dunks, but he was frequently out of position for rebounds due to lack of strength.
Over the summer, Kerr says he's willing to give the young guys a chance for minutes early on. With that in mind, Golden State remains high on Paschall, even though he's a second-round draft pick, seeing his toughness, IQ and defensive prowess as comparable to a young Draymond Green.
Stay healthy
Over the last two seasons, Curry and Green have missed a combined 72 games due to injury.
Last season, it was a non-contact groin injury that forced Curry to miss more than two weeks, while Green battled through shoulder, ankle and knee ailments. With Thompson out for an extended time, Green and Curry's availability will be crucial.
[RELATED: Steph primed for MVP season after Warriors' roster change]
Healthy Klay down the stretch
After tearing his ACL, Thompson is expected to miss most of the 2019-20 season, and Thompson says he wants to take his time during his rehab.
"That's my plan, especially with the way I can shoot the ball. I'd love to see the floor this season," Thompson told ESPN over the summer. "Don't know when that is. I doubt it's before the All-Star break. But at some point, it will be a goal of mine."
A Thompson return will be welcomed in February as Golden State's schedule gets tough down the stretch. Over the final two months of the season, the Warriors will play the Bucks, Nuggets, Spurs, Clippers, Lakers and Rockets on the road.