New-look Warriors have smooth first day with Kevin Durant

OAKLAND, Calif. — Anxious and eager to get started with his new team, Kevin Durant woke up extra early in the 7 o’clock hour and then hit freeway traffic on the way to his first formal work day with the Warriors.

“I wasn’t used to that in Oklahoma City,” he said with a chuckle following his initial practice with Golden State.

Welcome to the Bay Area, KD. He’s loving it so far. So is twotime reigning MVP Stephen Curry, asked several different ways after day one how defenses might possibly defend a lineup led by him, Durant, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and new center Zaza Pachulia. Not to mention all the playmakers coming off the bench for the NBA runners-up last season to LeBron James and Cleveland.

Everybody expects more from the Warriors now — even after a record-setting season that ended with 73 wins but without another championship banner.

As Curry and Co. are so used to by now, every team will bring its best to face star-studded Golden State led by its babyfaced point guard who shattered his own record with 402 3-pointers last season.

“We’ve just got to be ready for pretty much anything,” Curry said. “It’s going to be a feeling-out process throughout the whole season. Last year, teams started playing us a little differently all the way up until like March. We have to adjust. … I have the same mentality. I don’t really think about any other expectations. I want to get better. I want to be better than I was last year, and that’s going to be the same regardless if KD was here or not.”