National Basketball Association

Warriors come out flat in debut

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

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The Golden State Warriors disappointed in their anticipated debut against the San Antonio Spurs.

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Well, that went as no one could have possibly expected. On Tuesday night, the Golden State Warriors came out flat and did not play well against the San Antonio Spurs. From the beginning, it was clear on the floor that they weren’t clicking on either side.

Kawhi Leonard took over the new generation of Spurs early on Tuesday night, as he made some great plays in the lane. He made some running floaters off of screens that really showed some flaws in the Warriors’ defensive game plan.

From there, LaMarcus Aldridge would work down low and get some open buckets. That caused Steve Kerr to lose his cool for a minute and get on Draymond Green for a minute. While the team never really recovered, albeit for a short run in the second, Green’s intensity picked up as the game went on.

Big games from Aldridge and Leonard were expected as they did their respective things, including a career-high 35 from Leonard. The real x-factor and best kept secret in this game was Jonathon Simmons. The young forward showed off explosiveness and that he might be the next gem for San Antonio to become something big. He made a huge three as the half expired that really took the wind out of the sails for Golden State.

On offense, Kevin Durant had a nice night early, but the Warriors just couldn’t get much help from anyone else. Stephen Curry had 26, but he also missed a good chunk of shots from beyond the arc. Klay Thompson also struggled from beyond the arc, as he went just 1-6 from deep.

The real crux of the issue is that the rim protection was not good. Zaza Pachulia struggled down low and it might have raised some concerns about whether or not the team has a true rim protector. The Spurs found the weaknesses of Golden State and exploited it. The Warriors will now have a chance to rebound against the New Orleans Pelicans. Fortunately, it’s just one game of a long season.