After losing in devastating fashion in an intense seven-game NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers in June, the Golden State Warriors decided to make some extreme changes, including signing the top free agent on the market, Kevin Durant. 

But the question is if Durant will be able to replace Andrew Bogut, Festus Ezeli, Leandro Barbosa, Harrison Barnes, Brandon Rush and Marreese Speights, all free agents who left the team in the offseason.

The Warriors will return All-Stars Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, not to mention stud sixth man Andre Iguodala. But all of the early season focus is on Durant and how well he fits in to the Warriors squad that prided itself on its “Strength in Numbers” the past two years when it reached the NBA finals.

The signing of Durant may have been the best and worst decision the Warriors could have made after breaking an NBA record of winning 73 games before losing a 3-1 lead in the Finals. 

Although Durant has great numbers and is known for his power on the court, the Strength in Numbers motto was cultivated from a team full of chemistry, led by a single powerhouse, Curry. Will Durant and Curry clash or come together and build their own identity?

Curry and Durant have been in the league for some years now and know what it takes to put differences aside in order to win a championship. There will be changes for both players, but nothing that either of them haven’t faced before, plus they will have the support of the younger players on the team. 

 The early results provide reason for concern and celebration. The Warriors opened their season with a humiliating  29-point home loss to San Antonio, but bounced back with three straight road wins at New Orleans, Phoenix and Portland.

If Golden State prevailed in last Thursday night’s home game against Durant’s former team, Oklahoma City, the season opening loss might be quickly forgotten. But a second home loss might worry fans.

In addition to Durant, the Warriors signed a few veterans and brought in some fresh faces.

The Warriors traded Milwaukee for the rights to guard Patrick McCaw on draft night and have been thrilled with the second round pick so far.

After spending only two years playing at UNLV, the No. 38 pick in the draft forced overtime against the Nuggets in a preseason game with a game-tying shot. He then hit the game -winner five minutes later. 

This game created much hype for the young player who should see a lot of playing time. 

ZaZa Pachulia is also a new face to this team, but not to the NBA itself. He has been in the league since 2003 and decided to make the move from the Mavericks to the Warriors in the offseason. 

Pachulia will be the team’s starting center, replacing Bogut, who went to Dallas.  Pachulia is expected to be a difference maker down low, bringing his size and rebound skills to the team. 

Curry will continue to conduct the team as he’s known to do, as well as filling up his stat sheet like last year. He may not average 30 points a game again, but teams will have trouble stopping his impact on the game. His minutes may be cut toward the end of the season in order to prevent injuries and rest him in preparation for the playoffs.

Head coach Steve Kerr will keep Thompson as shooting guard and Green in his power forward position. They don’t consider the addition of Durant to be a sacrifice as many people believe it to be. 

The bond that Durant broke with former teammate Russell Westbrook left Thunder fans everywhere quite distraught, resulting with many burned Durant jerseys in Oklahoma. 

And fans nationwide continue to display a hatred for the Warriors new “super team,” thinking they will dominate the league and leave every team at a loss. But no matter who fans are rooting for, this super team will have everyone on the edge of their seats.

The Warriors will be sure to leave every shot on the court this season, hoping to finish on top with a ring on their finger in June.