Observations from Warriors @ Nets
By: Brian Abad
Tags: NBA, Warriors, Golden State Warriors

NBA tipped off its 2020–2021 season in Brooklyn with the return of 3 superstars who sat out most or all of last year — Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Steph Curry. We also saw the debut of the #2 overall pick of the 2020 draft, James Wiseman, while Draymond Green sat out with a foot injury.

This one wasn’t close as the Nets won handily 125–99 with the game blown open by the end of the 3rd quarter. What did we see from the Dubs in Game 1 of this shortened season?

Welcome back, Steph Curry

We start this season getting the return of Steph Curry who sat out most of last year due to injury. He had a strong start to the game with 16 points in the 1st half —showing off his shifty offense of quick 3s, sneaking into the lane, and drawing defenders to him which created openings for his teammates. Although the Nets built up a decent lead off 10 points each from KD and Kyrie in the 1st quarter, Steph reminded us what the NBA was missing last season and finished 6/15 from the field in the opening half.

Unfortunately he cooled down in the 2nd half — scoring only 4 points in the 3rd and finishing the game with 20 points off 2–10 shooting from 3. It became tougher for him to get loose with Wiggins and Oubre missing open 3s and the Nets running back turnovers for easy buckets. This season will obviously be much tougher without his fellow Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, but it could mean we could see a lot more offensive highlights with the ball in Steph’s hands.

Welcome to the league, James Wiseman

The #2 draft pick had a solid debut for Golden State — finishing the game as the Warriors’ 2nd leading scorer with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals. Most of his points came in the 4th quarter with the game already decided and the bench cleared out. Nonetheless, he showed some promising signs by hitting a 3, a couple midrange jumpers, rolling to the rim for some layups, and even taking a rebound coast-to-coast for a layup (which ended up as a charge). During a stretch in the 4th, Wiseman scored on 4 consecutive Warrior possessions — showing great assertiveness in getting himself involved.

Wiseman moved well out there despite sitting out the preseason, showing some great acceleration and a physical presence with his height and length. He changed a few shots around the rim just by getting his arms up while his offensive game showed some signs of Chris Bosh based off a 1 game sample.

Outside of Steph, Warriors options are limited

It was a big question coming into the season how Oubre, coming off a stellar season in Phoenix averaging 19 points and 6 rebounds, and Wiggins, making close to $30mil this year, would fit into the mix with Steph on the floor. Both played very poorly in their first stint with this starting unit — Oubre finishing with 6 points and Wiggins with 13 points.

Oubre may have had the highlight of the game with a put back dunk over KD but otherwise left the majority of his open jumpers short. He also looked like he lost some confidence in his jumper as the game went on. Wiggins started the game missing 7 of his first 8 shots off an array of missed wide open 3s and contested midrange jumpers. If there’s any silver lining it’s that they were able to get open shots which should eventually fall. The Warriors will need these two to play much better if they have any chance of making the 8th seed in the West.

Eric Paschall also had a very forgettable game despite getting the start. He did not have any presence on any aspect of the game which was reflected by his stat sheet at the end of the night — 6 points, 1 rebound, and 0 assists. I was hoping he’d pick some spots to assert himself but seemed content to play a background role.

Kerr will also need to brush up some offensive sets for the 2nd unit led by Wiggins. This group looked lost in stretches, taking turns driving to the basket and kicking to the perimeter while everyone stood around and waited for their turn. These past few years the Warriors have been defined by their free flowing style of play based off reads and reacts but that won’t work with a group where the defense doesn’t find anyone a threat.

And the Nets? Their talent is deep and they play fast

What a debut for Brooklyn’s big 3 and deep lineup. KD looked great in his return to the floor with a very efficient 1st half. We got to see his arsenal of jumpers, pull-ups, and drives — making his scoring look effortless against a Warrior defense that couldn’t stop him. His play alongside Kyrie did not seem forced as both played well together and played well individually. Kyrie’s handle and mobility looked tight — weaving his way around defenders and shooting with confidence — finishing with a game high 26 points off an efficient 10–16 shooting.

LeVert — a standout last year for Brooklyn — came off the bench with 20 points. Jarrett Allen was a presence on the glass off the bench with his 7 rebounds — 3 of them coming on the offensive end. These 2 can be starters on most NBA teams and speaks to the depth present in New York (They’d probably start on the other New York team).

As a whole, Brooklyn had 10 players who logged at least 15 minutes. They were at a pace reminiscent of head coach Steve Nash’s Phoenix Suns days, scoring 28 fast break points to Golden State’s 12. Brooklyn has the fire power and the depth to play fast and get good looks — which they used to break open a 30 point lead.

Looking ahead for the Warriors

The Warriors travel to Milwaukee for a Christmas Day matchup with the reigning MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Another tough matchup to start the season for the Dubs as the Bucks have added 2-way player, Jrue Holiday, as an additional threat with all-star, Khris Middleton.

It’ll be interesting to see the impact Draymond can have on this group when he returns from injury. Dray has been a great facilitator in finding open cutters getting to the rim and shooters on the perimeter but with Klay out those opportunities will not be nearly as easy. However, Green is known for making smart plays not reflected in the stat sheet — whether it’s setting picks to open up a shooter or cutting to open up space for other players — little things that keep the offense humming. We also shouldn’t forget he is a former Defensive Player of the Year and the heart of the Warriors, so he should be a boost for the role players on both sides of the floor when he gets back.

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Warriors @ Bucks gets the early afternoon start for Christmas Day lunch at 11:30am PST.