Stephen Curry and the Warriors Sport a Defensive Look in Preseason Opener
The Golden State Warriors opened their NBA preseason schedule with a dominant 127-87 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, and the offensive explosion was not even the most impressive part of the Warriors' win.
Everyone knows the Warriors will score points, but when was the last time they held an opponent under 100 points?
Not only that but Golden State only allowed the Clippers to shoot 37 percent from the field and held them to a measly 30 points after halftime.
I do realize it's only one preseason game, and the very first one at that, but for a contingent of loyal fans searching for some positives, this had to be encouraging.
New coach Keith Smart has stressed improvement on the defensive end, without losing the team's offensive identity, and on Friday the Warriors seemed to have received the message.
The entire team looked active and energetic and played help defense in a way that was unimaginable last season.
Newcomer Dorrell Wright was particularly impressive, and his 16 points on the offensive end were nice, but his defensive attitude was something the rest of the team fed on.
Last season the Warriors led the NBA in steals, but poor rebounding and individual defense made that statistic nearly irrelevant.
But this season the Warriors are stronger in the post with David Lee, and their scrambling chaotic style seemed to have a purpose, especially on the defensive end.
If the Warriors are truly in the midst of a defensive change of culture, then the 2010-11 season could truly be special because the offense already appears to be in midseason form.
Lee scored 15 points in his Warriors debut, and the perimeter trio of Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, and Reggie Williams combined for a total of 60 points.
Curry didn't miss a beat from his Rookie of the Year runner-up season, and he looked comfortable and in command of the Warriors' offense.
Williams proved that he is an able replacement to the departed Anthony Morrow, and Andris Biedrins chipped in with 10 points and 10 rebounds on the interior.
The Warriors' 40-point victory is certainly a good omen for next season, but before any reservations can be made for the postseason, the quality of the opponent has to be considered.
The Clippers played short-handed, yet forward Blake Griffin still dominated the Warriors in the middle with 23 points, and guard Eric Gordon chipped in 18 points of his own.
Griffin scored often and easily against Lee, Biedrins, or whomever else was unlucky enough to defend him, and for the Warriors to really show progress, they will have to fix their interior defense.
Wright, Curry, Williams, and Ellis can potentially create havoc with their perimeter defense as they did on Friday, but it will only make a difference if the interior players can do the same.
At least it looks like coach Smart has the Warriors on the right path, and although the preseason is a poor indicator of how the team will perform once the season starts, it does give fans something to look forward to.
