It’s Only the Season Opener, But...

It is never too early to overreact.

Ahh, Warrior basketball is back. It does not feel all that long ago Jordan Bell got his Henny fix, Klay photobombed Zaza’s family, and the Warriors finished an NBA Finals sweep at Quicken Loans Arena.

A lot of things transpired in that time - Javale joined forces with the Warriors’ biggest adversary, David West retired, and Patrick McCaw ghosted.

Hidden beneath all the emotions of the ring ceremony was the Warriors’ first game of the 2018-19 season. It was apparent from the get go that old habits die hard. Who remembers that the Warriors turn the ball over, reach in, and cruise control until the playoffs?

It takes a lot of carelessness to only beat a Russell Westbrookless Thunder by eight points. Here are the biggest takeaways and way too early overreactions from tonight’s festivities:

Draymond Looks...

Remember how much of last year’s preseason chatter was about Nick Young’s conditioning? Let’s just say that Draymond will be spending the first 10 to 20 games “playing to shape.” He had some great plays, one even prompting a signature Draymond yell, “AND ONE.” He is doing his normal Draymond things, but in a lazier fashion.

With the lack of “Warrior Bigs” depth and experience this may be the biggest concern for the team. It’s been so long since the last regular season game that I forgot Draymond is capable of doing stupid things - committing six turnovers, getting stuffed by the rim, and attempting a questionable turn around jump shot in the third quarter when the lead was up for grabs...

Ya it was not Draymond’s night.

Well this is New - Damian Jones and Kevon “Paul George Stopper” Looney aka 2018-19 Sixth Man of the Year Candidate

All of the obstacles harming Steph from injury are gone - Zaza and Javale. Cue the spotlight on Damian Jones and Kevon Looney. The two showed poise, maturity, athleticism, and improved lateral mobility. We saw Looney make huge strides throughout last season, and tonight was no different. From grabbing boards over the bigger (and much scarier) Steven Adams to agitating guards enough on mid range attempts, Looney went from “Why is Kerr putting him in” to being the first sub. Steph was the leading scorer, but guess who led +/-...Kevon Looney. This man put in so much work after his immobilizing hip injury that he deserves all the praise. In the times where the lead was teeter tottering, Kevon, not Steph, KD, or Klay, put that game away.

Damian Jones showed glimpses of freak athleticism. Even though it will take time for Jones to develop dimensions to his game, he already possesses the bare minimum - catches alley oops, grabs rebounds to kick out to shooters, and runs the pick and roll efficiently. There will be a lot of pressure on him early as he fills in the starting center position as the Warriors play the waiting game for Cousins. As he finally gets experience in the league, hopefully the defensive awareness develops and the “jump happiness” goes away. The best thing that could possibly come out of his development is fans and analysts (wrongly) having the discussion of who should start come early next year. It was a good night for Warrior Bigs if your name is not Draymond Green.

Welcome Back MVP Steph

Steve Kerr said it best in his presser, “I don’t know, he (Steph) is just awesome.”

Steph makes things look so...Stephortless (in Kenny Smith and Shaq’s voice). It was a near triple double outing for Steph. With each bucket - from the high finger roll over Adams to the one that prompted a shimmy - you felt that this may be Steph’s best year (and he’s already got TWO MVP seasons in his bag).

The first season in the “KD Era” Steph looked a bit out of whack until...Durant got hurt. That all fixed itself in the subsequent playoff season. Last year, the chemistry between the two grew and now we get back-to-back NBA Finals KD with “Last Year in Oracle So I’ll Ball Out” Steph. The latter was putting up shots that he normally gave up in the first half of the 2016-17 season. And what do you know - more than 50% of them went in tonight.

This may be the duo’s swan song, but if it is - we will finally see the two peak as a duo and individually.

We Need Spark Offense - Now.

I thought for a minute David West was going to pull a Bill Murray in Space Jam. Wishful thinking. Limited minutes for Draymond means one less scoring option. Steph, Klay, and KD get buckets, but other than that who will the Warriors turn to? Regular Season Andre and Artic Ice Cold Klay is a familiarity for a lot of Warriors fans.

What did Nick Young, Pat McCaw, David West, Javale, heck even Mo Speights have in common? Two words: Spark offense. In last year’s season opener Nick Young provided 20+ points. David West was more than capable of contributing just enough mid range elbow shots to give the Warriors a healthy cushion.

Even if Kevon can consistently hit a mid range jump shot and Jonas Jerebko can contribute useful minutes (and only do what we signed him for - hint: shoot threes) there will still be a void. The X factor: Quinn Cook. In Steph’s absence last year, Quinn turned a two way contract into a solidified spot in Steve Kerr’s rotation. Cook was not hesitant in shooting his shot. He was did 44% from three and 51% from the field.

Of course this void is filled when all three (and other bench players) fulfill their role. Even then - the offense does not seem capable if (knock on wood) the health of the team dissipates throughout the year. Remember those games where no one from the Hamptons 5 played? Those were ugly games, let’s not repeat that.