Previewing the Golden State Warriors: Q&A with Golden State of Mind

Iguodala seems to have been a very nice addition to the Warriors. With him now being out "indefinitely," what impact has that had and how has the team adjusted?

The impact has been huge. A lot of national commentators have been talking about how much the Warriors miss Jarrett Jack, but that's just not true, because Iguodala was providing everything Jack provided and then some. It was easy to see how well Andre meshed with our other starters, doing a little bit of everything, and proving that you don't need to score a lot of points to have a huge impact on a game.

I would feel like the Warriors were well suited to handle missing Andre if we weren't also missing Toney Douglas. Not that Douglas is anything special, but the simple truth is that between them we were comfortably handling the backup point guard duties. WIthout both of them, we just don't have anyone who can handle that job. (And let's be honest, watching Toney Douglas run the point isn't that exciting. As ESPN's Ethan Sherwood Strauss tweeted: "Toney Douglas runs the point like he's being hounded by an invisible Toney Douglas.")

Maybe later in the season Nemanja Nedovic (our first round pick) will be able to step up, but he's looking very much like a not-ready rookie in limited minutes so far. He's still clearly making the adjustment to that position.

Beyond that, though, we have good wing depth. Harrison Barnes can play some more minutes, and Draymond Green is probably under-utilized as a combo forward. Now, Barnes doesn't have the hoops IQ that Iguodala does, and Draymond green doesn't have his athleticism. Neither are as good passers, and the Warriors offense really gets up and running when Curry, Iguodala, Lee, and Bogut are all making the extra pass, so there's a hit.

But from a wing-depth standpoint, I was prepared to come into this season with Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes starting, with Draymond backing them up, and still consider us a playoff team. So we're fine.

Obviously Steph Curry is one of the most dangerous shooters in the league (if not THE most) -- though he also has a history of injury, as we've already seen this season. What's the concern about him staying healthy? Can Klay Thompson carry the shooting mantle if he's not?

I'm not really that concerned about Curry's health. The two injuries he's had this year have been really flukish: a bone bruise and a concussion when Marvin Williams landed on his head. Knock on wood and all that, but few players consistently play 82-game seasons, and nothing that's happened to Curry so far this season makes me fear a season-ender is around the corner.

Which is a good thing, because, honestly, Curry is the engine that makes the Warriors offense go. Without him, Klay doesn't get anywhere close to as many open looks. Iguodala's three point shooting is excellent with Curry on the floor and tepid without him -- and it's not a fluke. Curry really does open things up for everyone. He's a classic "makes everyone else around him better," guy and his game fits perfectly with Lee and Klay.

The anemic nature of the Warriors offensive output without Curry (in our two games without him we scored 81 points in an OT game and 74 points in another) suggests that, as a team, the Warriors are totally screwed if Curry can't go. It's not hyperbolic to say that the team's performance in those games makes a case for Curry as MVP. Imagine the Mavs without Dirk. He's that irreplaceable.

I have David Lee on my fantasy team, and I've been quite pleased with him so far this season. Keep him or sell high?

Keep him. David Lee is in the perfect position to thrive on the Warriors. He's underrated, offensively, because the stuff he does well (putbacks, finding open space, finishing on the move, making smart passes) looks easy and is often easy to miss. , whereas the stuff he does poorly (get his shot blocked, iso, play help defense) calls attention to itself. He's a very good player, and he's going to continue to thrive as long as the Warriors can play him with multiple good passers on the floor.

He'll struggle when put on the floor with a bunch of me-first players or when asked to create in the low post, when his shot is too easy to block, but the Warriors have gotten rid of players who fit that mold and so things should be good.

Other than Dirk, which Mavericks player would you most like to see on the Warriors?

DeJuan Blair. The Warriors one weakness in the rotation (even when healthy) is backup PF, where Maurice Speights has been exactly who we were afraid he was going to be, and making his two-year, $6m contract (with a team option for a third) seem like a big mistake.

Draymond Green can play some backup PF but struggles against bigger guys, but really, anybody for sent Speights to the bench would make me happy.

The Mavericks can probably keep up with the Warriors on offense. But their defensive capabilities are...you know, not much to speak of. What should the Mavs' game plan be against the Warriors?

Pressure Curry to get him to give the ball up early. He still sometimes gets turned around on double-teams, so make someone else beat you. Hit the offensive glass hard, and run like hell against our second unit, which has really struggled. You're catching us battling a bunch of injuries (Iguodala, O'Neal, Douglas, Kuzmic, Ezeli) so hit the offensive glass, try to get Bogut in foul trouble, and run.

Thanks Ron! For more on Golden State and tonight's game, head on over to Golden State of Mind.