Warriors flat in opening loss against KD, Nets
Without support, Curry struggles against Durant, Brooklyn
Despite the challenging schedule, head coach Steve Kerr had looked forward to Tuesday night’s season opener in Brooklyn as a chance to measure how the Warriors stack up to the league’s elite. In their 125-99 loss to the Nets, it was made clear that they have a ways to go.
Missed shots, flimsy defense and a lack of playmaking helped the Warriors dig themselves into an early hole. Brooklyn dominated from start to finish, as forward Kevin Durant — who made his Nets debut after sitting out last season with an Achilles tear he suffered in the 2019 Finals in
his last season with the Warriors — powered the Nets to a 40-25 lead after the first quarter.
Durant (22 points on 7- of-16 shooting, five rebounds and three assists in 25 minutes) and point guard Kyrie Irving (26 points on 10- of-16 shooting, four rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes) reminded the Warriors that they no longer are the beneficiaries of elite talent.
“I just didn’t like our level of
competition. It just felt like we were out there,” Kerr said. “I actually thought that we would compete harder and play better defense and we didn’t do that. We didn’t get into their airspace.”
While the Nets’ offense flowed freely, point guard Stephen Curry’s 20 points on 7-for-21 shooting (2-for10 from 3-point range) and 10 assists in 30 minutes was not enough to make up for the Warriors’ shortage of shot making.
Without Klay Thompson (Achilles, out for season) and Draymond Green (foot, day- to- day), the offense struggled. Curry was forced to create on his own, using screens to wiggle free for a moment before stepping back into a 3-pointer or attempting a
layup over several Brooklyn limbs.
Golden State’s two scoring wings, Andrew Wiggins (13 points on 4-for-16 shooting, two rebounds, one assist, four turnovers) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (six points on 3-for-14 shooting, seven rebounds), struggled from the field, and the Warriors as a team shot just 36.7% overall and 28.1% (10 of 33) from 3-point range.
Meanwhile the Nets poured it on, and shot 45.7% overall and 42.9% (15 of 35) from 3-point range. In the third quarter, Caris LeVert’s 3-pointer gave the Nets a 35-point lead. By the fourth quarter, Durant and Irving had earned the rest of the night off.
“When we’re flying around and we’re aggressive, using our length and speed and athleticism, we can turn that into easy on offense,” Curry said. “Tonight, that’s all they did.”
If there was a bright
spot for the Warriors, it was the debut of rookie James Wiseman, who started at center despite having missed preseason and training camp because of a positive coronavirus test. In 24 minutes, Wiseman flashed some of the skills that led the Warriors to selecting him No. 2 overall in last month’s draft. He dunked, ran the floor well and confidently attempted deep shots and jump hooks as he compiled 19 points, six rebounds and two steals.
“He looked great out there,” Kerr said. “I would have preferred a game where we actually were in the game.”
To compete with the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 25, the Warriors will need Wiseman to build on his performance, and for Wiggins and Oubre to simply play better. Wiggins was aggressive, but settled for turn- around jumpers,
clanged 3- pointers and turned the ball over with the kind of laissez faire attitude that earned him his passionless reputation. Despite moments of excitement from Oubre — which occurred mostly above the rim with highlight- worthy dunks — he did little to limit Irving and missed every shot he took outside the restricted area.
Maybe this game indicates a fall from the NBA’s summit for the Warriors. What was a team onceflushed with talent — so much so that it at times seemed unfair and could breeze through the regular season — now needs everyone to play to their fullest abilities in order to compete.
The Warriors didn’t do that Tuesday. In Milwaukee on Christmas Day, Kerr will get another chance to measure his team against an elite Eastern Conference opponent.