Even in the age of devalued truth, the Warriors wouldn’t dare file a lawsuit claiming they won their season opener. They didn’t plead for a recount. The nerve of them, accepting the facts.
“We got crushed tonight,” coach Steve Kerr said after a 125-99 loss to the Nets on Tuesday in Brooklyn.
“We got our butts beat, across the board,” Steph Curry said.
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No lies rolling off either tongue. Keeping it real is the most beneficial way for the Warriors to digest a game that nudged a few of their fans to the edge of panic.
With a perfect season no longer possible, we took to Twitter for a look at some Warriors Overreactions:
“-Draymond Green is much needed on both ends (we already knew that). -We need to give more minutes to the shooters (Lee and Mulder). -If he stays healthy Wiseman will win the ROTY award. -This team will look so much better in 15 to 20 games.” -- @antonin_org
Overreaction? Nope.
Golden State Warriors
It’s unfair to evaluate the Warriors until Draymond is on the floor. He’s the X-factor (Yes, more so than Andrew Wiggins). If Draymond can’t wreck offenses and inspire his teammates, the Warriors can forget about reaching Kerr’s stated goal of being a top-10 defensive team. If he can, look out.
Damion Lee and Mychal Mulder will get more minutes, particularly if Kelly Oubre Jr. and Wiggins struggle as mightily as they did in Brooklyn (they won’t).
Wiseman has Rookie of the Year potential. So does LaMelo Ball of the Hornets. Insofar as Melo is as much entertainer as he is basketball player, he’s likely to captivate a broader audience. That matters.
The Warriors, health-permitting, will look better in a month. And they should, through repetition, show improvement each month. They’re not as bad as they were on Tuesday.
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“Kerr needs to go.” -- @Khoee
Overreaction? Laughter.
Kerr can be stubborn about schemes. He can play favorites. He has made a few risky presumptions over the years, and some of them backfired.
But he’s not going anywhere this season unless he decides to walk.
In Year 1, Kerr was fresh and new and had everybody’s ear. In Year 2, he missed the first half of the season. In Years 3, 4 and 5, he had a bunch of trusty veterans on that “Super Villains” roster. In Year 6, he had no chance.
Kerr’s greatest strength is in managing the players. He engages all of them, which allows him to do his job with a humanistic approach. This squad is a bit different, the first time he has to develop a youngish group trying to mesh with only three certified winners.
One game, one week or one month is hardly enough time to start a “Fire Steve Kerr” movement.
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“I'm not going to pretend to be some NBA expert. What I will say is THAT SECOND TEAM CAN'T SCORE, SO WHY IS MULDER NOT OUT THERE DRAINING 3s? That second squad looked AWFUL.” -- @caNjura.
Overreaction? Yes, but you’re definitely onto something.
Though it’s only one game, there is legitimate reason to question the ability to score when Curry is off the floor. The Warriors, honestly, know this is an issue.
That’s why Wiggins will get the opportunity to be the scorer who blends with the second unit, much as Klay Thompson normally does. Wiggins was bad on Tuesday. He’ll get better, but by how much?
The leaders of that unit, Kent Bazemore and Brad Wanamaker, are defensive-first players. Eric Paschall’s offense is going to be inconsistent unless he finds a go-to shot. Jordan Poole has scorer potential, but it’s in process.
Lee and Mulder have 3-point range. Mulder has the quicker trigger. They played a combined 19 minutes, mostly in the fourth quarter. Expect that number to rise, and for at least one of them to get a chance in the first half.