National Basketball Association

5 reasons the Warriors shouldn't panic

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The NBA’s premier team — the Golden State Warriors — unceremoniously lost their season-opener 129-100 to the San Antonio Spurs. But before Golden State fans head for shelter and critics begin pronouncing them dead, let’s review some reasons why the Warriors can still meet expectations.

It’s no mystery to any NBA fan that the Spurs’ 29-point drubbing of the Warriors last night in Oracle Arena was not a good start for team. Head coach Steve Kerr acknowledged that it’s going to be a ugly film session after an “embarrassing” showing from Golden State on their home court for the season opener.

Kerr won’t have to watch much film to find out what the Warriors must fix. The team couldn’t protect the rim or even defend for that matter (who’s Jonathon Simmons and why did he get 20 points in an arena that’s been unkind to visitors the past two years?). Offensively, the Fantastic Four looked out of whack. The Splash Brothers went 4-16 from beyond the arc while the rhythm and synchronization that landed Oakland’s own in two consecutive NBA Finals was clearly missing.

Though surprisingly, the sky isn’t falling (yet) for Golden State. With six months and 81 more games to get through the Warriors have a prime chance to fulfill the hype the created back in July with Durant’s signing. So let’s take a look at a few reasons why people shouldn’t be so quick to distance themselves from the Dubs.

Apr 10, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) is defended by San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker (9) and small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the second half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

1. It’s. One. Game.

This may sound stupid because it’s so obvious, but haters need to shaddup after one lousy game.

Yes, like I stated in the intro, this was definitely an underwhelming debut for the league’s new “superteam.” Especially since it’s (almost) the same team that ripped off a 24-game winning streak to start the season last year and added some serious star power to their roster over the summer. But that’s also all it is: one lousy game. It’d be asinine to assume a clunky season-opener is the breaking point for a projected NBA Finals contender.

Basketball fans and media members need to cool their jets before decrying the ability of the Warriors. Look at the NFL as an example. Journalists who cover the NFL often refer to the first Monday after the season’s opening weekend “Overreaction Monday” because media personalities everywhere — whether seriously or not — produce bold proclamations about a team’s viability after the first game.

Hell, the NFL season doesn’t start taking shape until mid-October. That doesn’t stop the peanut gallery from sounding off on who’s making the playoffs by Week 2.

Point being, it’s easy to jump on this game and crystallize every bad moment into a season-defining narrative. At the same time, it’s extremely disingenuous to the Warriors’ chances. Don’t forget: during LeBron’s first year in Miami the team pretty much had no chemistry and still found themselves in the NBA Finals. Give the Warriors more than one game, and good things will start happening.

Jul 7, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (left), Kevin Durant (center), and general manager Bob Myers (right) address the media during a press conference after Durant signed with the Warriors at the Warriors Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

2. They’ve got talent out the wazoo

It’s definitely true that team chemistry is an integral part of winning an NBA championship, but also remember that the Finals are eight months away. Right now the goal is just to win and the Warriors have four of the 20 best players in the NBA on their roster. That alone is going to win Golden State many, many games.

Even with last night’s loss, it serves as a good barometer for things to come. Steph Curry shot 3-10 from three-point range while Klay Thompson went an unglorious 1-6 from downtown. Those numbers sting to read for Dubs fans but don’t cringe just yet. If the Splash Bros were closer to their usual 50% mark from long range the Warriors would’ve had 12 more points. That’s a 129-112 loss if nothing else changed, which is way more manageable than a nearly 30-point blowout. Besides who knows how much more momentum those four extra buckets would’ve added in the Warriors favor.

Plus it’s worth noting that outside of perimeter shooting Golden State was solid as ever offensively. Durant shot 61 percent (!) from the floor, while Curry and Draymond Green both netted 50 percent of their shots. Thompson was the lone outlier who performed poorly, only making 38 percent of his shot attempts. Still, he’s bound to get on track and when he does, the good times will be rolling in Oakland.

Admittedly, Golden States’ defense is a problem worth watching as the season goes on. It’s hard to imagine them meeting expectations if they’re only playing half of the court. Regardless, the offensive talent in-house will help this team maintain its status as an upper echelon franchise.

May 30, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) dribbles the basketball against Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) during the fourth quarter in game seven of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Thunder 96-88. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

3. Experience is on their side

Maybe it’s because Curry looks like he should be in 11th grade and Kerr should be in college as to why this team doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves in terms of experience. Shocking to hear for some, but Golden State is a hardened bunch.

Core players like Green, Curry, Thompson and Andre Iguodala were all essential in getting the Warriors to two straight Finals. Kerr himself played under legends like Phil Jackson and Gregg Poppovich and has used that combined tutelage to become one of the league’s more forward-thinking head coaches. Not to mention, the roster also boasts heady veterans like Anderson Varejao and David West who add some flavor to the roster. Oh, and of course, Durant brings his bounty of NBA successes to the table as well.

In fairness, for Kerr and those Warriors who were apart of both Finals appearances, the team possesses a lot of good experiences, but not so many bad ones. Kerr even remarked how surreal it was to be in the losing locker room following last June’s Game 7 defeat, especially after a season of never-ending nirvana.

Time will tell if the Warriors really do have the grit to bounce back from easily one of the most upsetting losses in league history. The make-or-break nature of that possibility is why NBA fans need to be given reasons not to panic about what Golden State can still accomplish after just one game.

Safe to say, it’s a lot of pressure. But the Warriors didn’t waltz into the Finals last year and definitely won’t be allowed to next Spring. That’s where the oft-overlooked experience of this team will carry them past competitors.

Jun 8, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (C) huddles with his team during a stoppage in play in the first quarter in game three of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

4. Seriously…it’s just the regular season

The NBA regular season is about as meaningful as a single square of toilet paper. For real.

Sure, winning from October to April is what punches a team’s ticket to the big dance. However, a good regular season record doesn’t guarantee anything except entry. Results have to be earned from there on out. Golden State knows that better than anyone.

Strong regular seasons work against some teams as it masks how mediocre they really are. The Celtics are on the rise! How about winning more than two playoff games under head coach Brad Stevens before we say the Celtics are anything but competitive. Well the Raptors are always in the mix! One decent run after two straight first-round flameouts is not the model of consistency. You can’t deny the Clippers or Rockets don’t have a shot though! You can when one’s too reliant on Chris Paul and the other’s too reliant on outscoring their opponent in every game.

The postseason is a new and wholly more important world than the regular season. In the regular season you may play a team four times in six months. In the postseason you play a team four times in six days. Increased exposure puts both sides’ flaws under the microscope and reveals who the better team is quickly.

Luckily for the Warriors, they have a proven playoff roster and an adaptable head coach. Last year Golden State made it to the Finals and Curry wasn’t available for half of it. Even when he did come back, he was riding the coattails of Thompson and Green’s epic postseasons. That’s saying something about the firepower the Warriors possess.

Oct 19, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) reacts during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Valley View Casino Center. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

5. Does anyone really think the Warriors will disappoint?

Don’t think an ego-laden locker room like Golden State’s is going to take a thumping from the Spurs lightly. Durant already vocalized that the loss was a “slap in the face” in the postgame press conference yesterday. Now the Warriors are under .500 for the first time in Steve Kerr’s short tenure as head coach.

Banking on that to last is foolish. Golden State consciously painted a target on their back when Durant came aboard. The Warriors’ narrative seemingly shifted overnight, from being the darlings of the NBA to tyrants of talent in just a summer. “Villain” might not be the preferred term, but it’s no doubt there’s something insidious about Golden State after the Durant signing. Only way to earn affection back from the public is to win; otherwise they’re just spineless losers.

It’s an unlikely to happen considering the Warriors are so heavy-handed in regards to talent and have forged a winning culture. At the very least, a third consecutive Finals birth is within arm’s reach.

Although that doesn’t mean it’ll be a pretty process. Golden State made winning look so easy the past two years. Every shot fell right when they needed to and every opponent failed to respond. Since then, Cleveland slapped the Warriors around and now so has San Antonio.

Golden State’s got too much pride and too much on the line to let this losing streak spiral. Just don’t call it a comeback when it does happen.