The Warriors’ preseason wasn’t as remarkable as everyone was expecting—at times the team looked subpar. Their preseason record was 3-4, ending with a blowout loss against the Portland Trail Blazers that ended 90-74.
Don’t fret, Warriors fans; most of the preseason was used to see who meshes well together on the court and who doesn’t.
On Wednesday, October 30 the Warriors will play their season opener against the Kobe-less Los Angeles Lakers at “ROARACLE”. The Warriors matched up with the Lakers several times during the offseason—they played three preseason games against each other, one in Ontario, CA and two in China. After playing three games against LA, the Warriors have a good sense of what they’ll be up against during their season opener.
During the preseason, Golden State lost to a second-string Lakers team in Ontario, CA but redeemed themselves by winning both preseason games in China. In China, the Lakers played all of their starters except for the injured Kobe Bryant.
As the season opener approaches, the Warriors are waiting to see if SF/PF Harrison Barnes will be ready to play—Barnes has been out since Oct. 7 due to an inflammation in his left foot. The injury is more serious than the team first believed. Coach Mark Jackson has come out and said that although the Warriors had hoped Barnes would play on Wednesday, he will be sitting out for at least the first two games of the season—He will be coming off of the bench when he returns. Resting up could be the best option for the young forward. The Warriors have had more than their share of injury problems, and forcing a young star to play on a bad foot when there are capable bench players available is asking for trouble.
The Warriors have a good chance to win Wednesday’s season opener. They’ll be playing a Kobe-less Lakers team who will be playing back-to-back games—they play the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
Coach Jackson has finalized the starting lineup for the season: Stephen Curry (PG), Klay Thompson (SG), Andre Iguodala (SF), David Lee (PF) and Andrew Bogut (C). It’s possible that once Barnes returns, Thompson will become the Warriors’ sixth man, but that’s an unlikely scenario with Barnes missing so much preseason action.
Unfortunately, Warriors fans won’t be able to see another Curry on the court. After the final preseason game against Portland, the Warriors waived guard Seth Curry, center Dewayne Dedmon, and forward Joe Alexander before signing center Andrew Bogut to a contract extension. Golden State also decided to extend the contracts of Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli through the 2014-2015 season.
The Warriors have one of the best starting lineups in the NBA (link) as well as a strong bench. After last season’s success, they’ve gotten some buzz as the team to beat in the western conference. Stephen Curry has graced numerous magazine covers, and there have even been comparisons to Magic Johnson’s “showtime” Lakers that won three NBA titles.
For the Warriors, the pressure is on—they’re a potential Western Conference playoff team and have been deemed possible NBA championship contenders. The Warriors have a lot to live up to this season, and tomorrow it all begins. Golden State has assembled a remarkable team, but they’ll have to stay healthy for this season to live up to expectations.
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