The Golden State Warriors got rocked by the Los Angeles Clippers in the official debut of the Chase Center in San Francisco. Is Dub Nation in for a long season?
The Golden State Warriors were in for a rude awakening in game one of their 2019-2020 campaign.
It was brutal. It was ugly. It didn’t inspire a lot of hope for what’s to come.
For many fans who might be relatively new to following the Golden State Warriors — especially the business tycoons who could laugh off spilling their $35 beers on the sidelines — this felt completely foreign.
TNT’s broadcast quickly went from calling a relatively competitive first half to questioning if the dynasty is officially over.
Well, it is. At least in its prior form.
The Golden State Warriors are in for some significant growing pains this season, and there’s going to be no denying that.
The team will have to figure out who will start at small forward for the majority — if not the entirety of the season. Several rookies and sophomores will be given hefty minutes without being threatened by a Steve Kerr hook.
It’s going to be a work in progress, and everyone knows it — from the players to the coaching staff to the front office. Even after the 141-122 beatdown, Steve Kerr didn’t write off the loss and act like everything would be fine and dandy.
"“This is not a one off. This is the reality. There are going to be nights like this, this year.”"
Those aren’t especially encouraging words.
But, at the same time, fans have to hope that things will go a little more smoothly than they did last night.
The Los Angeles Clippers came rushing out of the gate and took a 14-0 lead. The Warriors looked stagnant on the offensive end and the Clippers were getting whatever they wanted on the inside.
After just three minutes of action, Draymond Green came up clutching at his forearm after what looked to be an innocent screen. He’d head back to the bench, get checked on by the trainer, look like he was in some serious discomfort, and head to the locker room.
The Warriors put up some fight, in spite of that, however. D’Angelo Russell decided to put the team on his back and formally introduce himself to the San Francisco crowd.
When D-Lo has free range to play like that, he’s a lot of fun to watch. It temporarily pulled the Warriors closer to the Clippers’ lead. And it seemed to fuel some of the energy from the younger players.
By halftime, the Warriors were down 11, but felt as though they were in striking distance so long as they could put on one of their trademark Warriors third quarters.
That trademark apparently expired.
The Clippers put up 46 points in the quarter and thoroughly dominated every single aspect of the game. The Warriors weren’t just down big — they looked like they had completely given up.
Montrezl Harrell was barreling down the lane with defenders turning away from him to stay out of his way. Lou Williams was making defenders take the bait and jump left and right. Even Patrick Patterson dropped 20 points on the night.
It didn’t matter if it was the starters or the secondary players, because they were having their way with this Golden State Warriors defense. Los Angeles’ bench put up 68 points.
Incredibly, it’s the second game in a row that the Clippers bench has put up over 60 points.
It was virtually a load management night off for Kawhi Leonard, who cruised to 21 points, nine assists, and five rebounds in 21 minutes. Oh yeah, and their defense held the Warriors under 40% shooting for the night.
The entire season can’t be written off by this single night against a team that’s going to be a favorite all year long.
Fans will have to hold out hope that the Warriors will put together better showings against more comparable teams. They’ll make or break their season against the Portland Trail Blazers, the San Antonio Spurs, and the like.
And the reality is that the Golden State Warriors will need to establish a lot more chemistry. There are flashes of things clicking on the floor, but it’s still a bit clunky between Stephen Curry and D’Angelo Russell, even if they’re both immensely talented.
Glenn Robinson III will be a player to watch over the next few games. While his numbers wound up looking alright on the night, he missed some wide-open looks while the defense left him in the corner. That can’t happen.
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Jacob Evans III, meanwhile, put together what was probably his best full game as a professional.
As one of the lone bright spots, Evans went 5-for-9 from the floor and hit four threes — matching his entire season total from last year. He’s not exactly shooting with confidence yet, but he’s gradually getting there.
Speaking of confidence, Jordan Poole put up the third-most shots on the game. He only made two of them, but he definitely didn’t seem shy. It’s the “Swaggy Poole” experience, and fans will have to get used to it.
Eric Paschall quietly had a solid night as well. With Draymond Green going down early, the Warriors thrust Paschall into some extra minutes, and he responded positively.
He was active on the defensive end and shot about 50% from the floor, putting up 14 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Most impressively, he was a net positive on the floor, something that could put him into consideration for a start at either small forward or power forward in future games.
In the end, Green was able to come back for the second half and do his best to try and salvage a defense that still looks considerably unprepared. Green wasn’t happy reflecting on the game in the post-game presser.
"“I’m not a moral victory guy. I’m not leaving this game looking for something to build off on…They’re a damn good team, but our defense was pathetic.”"
The big takeaways of this game are simple.
First and foremost, the Golden State Warriors are on the brink of completely collapsing if injuries continue to affect them like this. Draymond Green has to be out there consistently.
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Kevon Looney’s hamstring issue is also a concern. He was limited to just 10 minutes on the night, even though he looked like he was a positive defensive presence on the floor.
But the second takeaway is far more fluid: we have to wait and see.
The Clippers are an exceptional team that is going to add Paul George in a matter of weeks and make Jerry West look even smarter than he already does as an executive.
This game has to be a wakeup call for the entire squad. This isn’t a cute underdog story. This isn’t an interlude between Holey Moley seasons on ABC. This is the regular season, and the team is going to have to find a way to step up one way or another.
Steve Kerr is going to have to rack his brain trying to figure out how to best steer this group. He’ll have to put to rest some of the naysayers who suggest that his success is dependent on incredible rosters of the past.
Stephen Curry’s going to have to be more locked in. He had eight of the team’s 13 turnovers and only played three quarters.
There’s time, and there’s still hope.
It wasn’t the homecoming that the Warriors wanted.
But the regular season is officially upon us, and it’s going to demand more out of the Golden State Warriors if they want to avoid speculation about their 2020 NBA Draft position.