NBA: Biggest X-factor for all 30 teams in the 2019-20 season

Golden State Warriors: D’Angelo Russell

Nobody had dubbed the Golden State Warriors and D’Angelo Russell as ideal fits for each other in free agency.

Russell ran the second-most pick and rolls per game last season compared to a Warriors squad ranked dead last in that category as a team, opting instead to swing the ball around the perimeter in Steve Kerr‘s motion-heavy offense.

The pairing wasn’t openly pursued by Golden State as much as it was an opportunity taken advantage of.

With Kevin Durant headed to the Brooklyn Nets, acquiring a talent like Russell via sign-and-trade was as good a compensation package as they were going to get for losing an unrestricted free agent.

The Warriors won’t only be without KD next season, but Klay Thompson‘s torn ACL will keep him out until February at the earliest. Even upon returning, the five-time All-Star may require time to rediscover a feel for NBA-level competition.

Golden State isn’t out of the championship conversation with Klay, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green leading the way.

With half of the Splash Brothers missing in action, however, the Dubs may find themselves in trouble in a cruel Western Conference where the standings are in a constant state of flux.

Kerr has stated it’s up to him and his coaching staff to implement their newest addition into the offense, but some of that responsibility falls on Russell himself.

Coming off his first All-Star appearance, he has to make an effort to shorten the impending learning curve he’s bound to face in the Bay Area while also staying true to his style of play.

It won’t be an easy task and it’s one Durant struggled with as well during his inaugural run with the Warriors. Depending on if and when Russell can achieve a certain level of cohesion with his new teammates, Golden State may still find itself in the thick of the playoff picture out west.