Golden State Warriors: A few observations from season opening win over OKC
By Kevin Saito
Boogie May Be Superfluous
The Warriors raised some eyebrows, and no doubt ruffled some feathers this offseason, when they acquired DeMarcus Cousins. They needed a tough, grinding presence inside, so they went out and got one.
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People who were already grumbling about the collection of talent in Golden State uniforms only got new ammunition to fight with, and the cries of Super Team foul grew loud and lusty. Again. This, despite the fact that Cousins isn’t likely going to be able to set foot on a court until probably halfway through the season, and he’ll spend half of that remaining time getting up to speed.
However, at this point, it almost appears like Cousins may be superfluous. The Warriors have two young centers in Damian Jones and Kevon Looney, who both looked ready to step into a more prominent role for Golden State.
Jones, having beaten Looney out during camp, got the starting nod, and rewarded HC Steve Kerr‘s faith in him by delivering a 12 point, three rebound, and two assist performance. Coming off the bench to play 18 minutes, Looney snagged himself a double-double, with 10 points, and 10 boards. He also chipped in a pair of assists as well.
Jordan Bell seems to have fallen out of favor just a bit, and is third on the depth chart, playing just seven minutes against the Thunder, adding two rebounds to the cause.
Yes, it’s only one game, and there are still very obviously areas they need to work on, the center spot looks to be pretty well handled between Jones and Looney. When Cousins come back, it looks like it’s going to be gravy for a talented Warriors roster.