Ready to roll: Defense, quick tempo take hold
SACRAMENTO — Kelly Oubre Jr. sawMarquese Chriss’ floater in the key was about to hit the back of the rim, raced baseline and, just as the ball hit metal, threw down a thunderous twohanded dunk.
That came after Oubre guarded Kings forward Harrison Barnes fullcourt and poked the ball to force a turnover, which allowed Stephen Curry to lead the fast break. The sequence, which unfolded midway through the third quarter of theWarriors’ 113109 preseason finale win over Sacramento at Golden 1 Center, typified the identity Golden State head coach Steve Kerr is trying to foster.
With a roster loaded with long, athletic players who thrive in transition, Kerr recognizes that theWarriors must do two things — play relentless defense and ratchet up the tempo— to contend in theWestern Conference. Now, with its season opener at Brooklyn a few days away, Golden State is beginning to adopt that style.
That’s encouraging progress for a team that, in addition to losing guard Klay Thompson for the season, went its three preseason games without center James Wiseman and forward Draymond Green after they tested positive for the coronavirus. Kerr expected theWarriors to endure early growing pains, but he is pleased they are starting to play with the kind of controlled chaos that defined Golden State’s recent dynasty.
“We did a much better job tonight of understanding personWARRIORS
nel and recognizing situations,” Kerr said. “We weren't perfect, but we had fewer mental mistakes than we had the other night.”
Two nights removed from a onepoint loss to the Kings, the Warriors outscored Sacramento 165 on fast breaks, shot 20for43 ( 46.5%) from 3point range and got another dazzling performance from Curry. In 29 minutes, Curry delivered a host of highlights on his way to 29 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Perhaps more important, however, were the inspired nights from Golden State’s starting wings. After struggling with inconsistency on both sides of the ball in the first two preseason games, Oubre and Andrew Wiggins played up to the oneword description Oubre recently offered for the duo — havoc.
Using massive wingspans to disrupt passes and nag the Kings’ top scorers, Oubre and Wiggins flashed their defensive potential. On offense, they attacked the rim to create space, finishing with a combined 41 points on 15for27 shooting ( 10for19 from 3point range) with a plusminus of plus23.
Such energy seemed to trickle down to the rest of the roster and helped the Warriors overcome a major disadvantage inside. With Wiseman and Green still out, Golden State was outscored 5228 in the paint. But the Warriors made stops when it mattered most and, after seizing a 19point lead midway through the third quarter, held on for the win.
“I think we were more locked in tonight,” Oubre said. “We focused more on studying the game plan in shootaround, and we really understood what the Kings brought to the table.”
Given that Curry has played significant minutes with only one available player in Kevon Looney, Kerr knew this could be a daunting preseason. The coronavirus pandemic left the Warriors with only three weeks to prepare for their regularseason opener. In that time, they needed to acclimate Curry to an overhauled supporting cast, establish an oncourt ethos and move past a disastrous 201920.
Though the unexpected absences of Wiseman and Green didn’t help matters, the Warriors showed they’re willing to get out in transition and play hard on defense. The rest of Kerr’s todo list will need to be handled during the regular season. With a rigorous stretch nearing that includes a Christmas Day game at Milwaukee, Golden State is still installing schemes, figuring out lineups and trying to ensure it’s competitive when Curry is off the court.
The returns of Wiseman and Green, which could come Tuesday against the Nets, should provide a boost. The Warriors looked out of sorts defensively at times during the preseason, but they can’t fully evaluate themselves on that side until Green is organizing them. Wiseman, the No. 2 pick in last month’s NBA draft, could also be an immediate factor as a rim runner and shotblocker.
But unlike the 201920Warriors who slogged through a 1550 season without Curry and Thompson, this iteration offers plenty of reasons for excitement. That’s all Kerr could expect under less than ideal circumstances.
“This has definitely been an adjustment for everybody,” guard Kent Bazemore said. “Everybody’s just learning to play with each other, but we’ve seen really good glimpses of what we can be.”