The State of the Golden State Warriors

So much for a quiet, uneventful Summer vacaction for the Dubs! Seemingly every day the team has made a new transaction, after the surprise opt-out of team leader Baron Davis. While it's not clear the flurry of activity has made the team better, there is no doubt this should prove to be one of the most intriguing seasons in recent memeory for the team.

The best news for Golden State comes in the form of six-year contract extensions for arguably the team's two most important players in Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins. Ellis nabs $67 million, while Biedrins pulls in a guaranteed $54 million, with incentive potential that could bring the total package to $63 million. This is a huge investment on the Dubs' part, but one they absolutely needed to pull off, especially given the departure of Davis. Both players are still only 22 years old, and should have their best years ahead of them. More importantly, each player has continued to improve considerably every season, and the franchise will be counting on that again this year, as both players loom large as key pillars in the franchise's future.

Assuming the Warriors' front office have no more tricks up there sleeves, the team should head into training camp with one of their deepest lineups in recent years.

Here's a look at the potential roster as it stands right now:

PG - Ellis, Marcus Williams, CJ Watson

SG - Stephen Jackson, Marco Bellinelli, Kellenna Azubuike

SF - Corey Maggette, Anthony Randolph

PF - Al Harrington, Brandan Wright, Richard Hendrix

C - Biedrins, Rony Turiaf, Kosta Perovic

This lineup gives Don Nelson plenty of flexibility to throw different looks at opponents, but there are plenty of question marks as well. The biggest being how Ellis responds to the challenge of running the offense and transitioning into a team leader. In what could be the last season on the bench for Nelly, it will certainly be a challenge for him to put together all of the pieces in a cohesive manner. If he can coax some magic out of this exceedingly youthful unit, it may go down as one of his greatest coaching jobs ever.

Right now, expectations seem surprisingly low for the club, and there is no doubt that Davis will be missed. His presence and swagger set the tone for one of the league's premiere offensive powerhouse. Still, this club has a lot more upside than people are giving them credit for. Williams could prove to be a gem at PG. His past-first mentality will help certainly help move the ball and allow others to get great looks at the bucket. There should also be noticeable growth from both Bellinelli and Wright in their second year of NBA action.  Turiaf also adds a dimension they have been missing in a bulky power player who can match up with behemoths like Carlos Boozer who have tortured the Dubs in recent years. Finally, the star potential of Randolph will be something to monitor. He has the look of a special player, and will probably only be limited by Nelly's reluctance to lean on young players. There is no doubt that things could go wroing and the season could end up disastrous, but I for one look at this as the beginning of another chance for the team to make believers of the league again!