National Basketball Association

San Antonio Spurs: Takeaways From Season Opener vs. Warriors

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:16 p.m. ET

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The San Antonio Spurs crushed the Warriors 129-100 in the season opener, reminding everyone just how great they can be.

October 25, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich (right) instructs guard Tony Parker (9) against the Golden State Warriors during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Spurs defeated the Warriors 129-100. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The San Antonio Spurs won a franchise-record 67 games last season. But the fact they were bounced from the second round of the postseason coupled with Tim Duncan‘s retirement, made it somewhat difficult to determine the temperament of this team.

The Spurs would get an early opportunity to prove their mettle with a matchup against the Golden State Warriors on opening night. On paper, the best team in the conference just got better with the addition of Kevin Durant during the offseason.

Taking that into consideration, there is no way the Dubs would start off their season with a loss on their home court, right?

Wrong.

The Spurs not only beat the Warriors, they demolished them in nearly ever facet of the game en rout to an easy 129-100 win, marking their largest margin of victory in a season-opening road game since defeating the Dallas Mavericks by 41 points back in 1991.

As we let allow to shock to sink in momentarily, here are a few takeaways from the Spurs’ impressive victory.

Jul 20, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Jonathan Simmons (16) shoots between Phoenix Suns defenders during the NBA Summer League Final at Thomas & Mack Center. The Spurs won the game 93-90. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Jonathon Simmons Proved To Be An X-Factor

In giving up 129 points, it would be understatement to say that the Warriors had their fair share of struggles from a defensive standpoint (more on that later).

This includes how poorly they defended second-year guard Jonathon Simmons.

Last season, Simmons averaged just 6.0 points in a little less than 15 minutes per contest. But against the Warriors, he looked like a potential All-Star in the making.

Simmons torched the Warriors’ defense for 20 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists. Oh, and let’s not forget about this memorable block on the reigning two-time MVP Stephen Curry.

It’s one thing when the star players on the opposing team score a ton of points against you, but it is quite another when you allow a guy to come off the bench and light up your defense like a Christmas tree.

Simply put, Simmons was given an opportunity to shine against one of the top-tier teams in the league and he took full advantage to say the least.

October 25, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills (8) shoots the basketball against Golden State Warriors center Anderson Varejao (18) during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Spurs defeated the Warriors 129-100. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Spurs’ Offense Tops Warriors’ Defense

Obviously, the Spurs were on top of their game in this one, but how well they played goes beyond the amount of points they scored.

In addition to those 129 points, the Spurs also shot an efficient 48 percent from the field overall and connected on 50 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc.

And if those numbers haven’t gotten you out of your seat just yet, it is also worth noting that the Spurs outscored the Warriors by a 15-point margin from three-point range. Considering the Dubs were the top team in three-point shooting a year ago, this an impressive stat.

Despite how shocked many of us may be at this one-sided affair, Steve Kerr did give advance warning that his team may struggle defensively this season.

“The thing that’s different will be a lack of rim protection,” Kerr told CSNBayArea.com. “We had great rim protection from Bogut and Ezeli, and both those guys are gone. Zaza’s a very good defender, but he’s more of a positional guy than a shot blocker.

“So there’s definitely adjustments we’ll have to make, even schematically. We’ll have some growing pains, especially on defense, as we try to make sure we get everything right and comfortable.”

While it is just the season opener, the Spurs reminded the Warriors that they need to bring their “A” game every night or risk encountering more humiliating losses like this one as the season progresses.

Oct 12, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili (20) talks with guard Patricio Garino (29) during the second half against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center. San Antonio Spurs defeated the Orlando Magic 95-89. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Spurs Win Battle Of Reserves

Aside from setting the record for most wins in a regular season last year and leading the league in scoring with 114.9 points per contest, one of the trademarks of this Warriors club was solid bench play.

In this contest, however, it was the Spurs’ bench that proved to be superior. Behind Simmons’ 20-point performance, San Antonio’s reserves scored 54 points, with each player recording at least a plus-6 rating.

Conversely, the Warriors’ entire bench combined for a total of just 16 points, with Ian Clark scoring five. In other words, Simmons outscored the Warriors’ bench all by himself.

While rotations are often cut short when the playoffs roll around, you need to have bench depth in order to improve your team’s chances of even making it to the postseason.

If this game is an indicator of what the Spurs’ bench is capable of, there is good reason to believe they will be competing for one of the top four spots in the conference.

October 25, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots the basketball against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Spurs defeated the Warriors 129-100. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Kawhi Leonard Staking Early Claim For MVP Consideration

Before the season even began, the MVP conversation revolved around Stephen Curry and LeBron James for the most part. After all, Curry has won the award in each of the last two seasons, and became the first player to receive every single vote last season.

Meanwhile, James has won the award four times, and Kevin Durant is just two years removed from winning the prestigious honor as well.

But before we go anointing the award to past winners, we may want to hold off on that for now, as Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard is making an early claim.

Against the defending conference champions, Leonard led all scorers with 35 points to go along with five rebounds, five steals, and three assists. Additionally, Leonard was also a perfect 15-for-15 from the charity stripe.

With his mid-range game working, Leonard was a handful for the Warriors to say the least. And he won the individual matchup against Durant by a 35-27 margin, reminding us once again why he is one of the best two-way players in the league.