Golden State Warriors: Best Performances From the First Two Games
By Ben Pickman
Oct 31, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul (3) and Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) go for the ball in the first half of the game at Staples Center.Clippers won 125-115. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
After beginning the season with a 30 point victory over what many predict to be a mediocre Lakers team, the Warriors fell in a high scoring shootout to the Lakers cross-town rival Los Angeles Clippers. The Golden State Warriors nine point loss to the Clippers revealed many of flaws that will ideally be fixed sooner rather than later, but it also provided a solid launching pad for many of the Warriors core pieces.
Oct 30, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson (11) celebrates after a three point basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Klay Thompson started off the season with a bang. In only 31 minutes, Thompson scored 38 points, his career high by shooting 79% from the field and 71% from the three. After one half Thompson had 27 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the field. With the absence of fellow young wingman Harrison Barnes, Thompson started the second quarter of the first game on the floor along side Draymond Green, Jermaine O’Neal, Marresse Speights, and Toney Douglas. Thompson was the focal point of the second unit Wednesday night and flourished with them.
Game two was less than spectacular though. In 38 minutes of action, Thompson had only ten points, one rebound and one assist, all while shooting lower percentages from the field and three.
One noticeable trend that could be worrisome to the Warriors down the road is Thompson’s lack of evolution in his game. He still is just a shooter-scorer hybrid and struggles to grab consistent rebounds and assists. In two games he has two assists combined and four rebounds combined. To truly make the leap in his third season, Thompson needs to help the Dubs in more facets of the game.
After a vanilla start to his season, Stephen Curry went back and fourth with Los Angeles Clippers elite point guard Chris Paul. In the Warriors high scoring 126-115 defeat, Curry dropped an easy 38 points accompanied by nine assists. In 38 minutes of action, Curry shot 64 percent from the field and 61 percent from three. Expect far more performances like this to occur this season than his measly 10 point, six assist game against the Lakers Wednesday night.
One problem that could hurt the Warriors in the long run is Curry’s defensive struggles. Without Jarrett Jack to defend the opposing team’s best guards in the fourth quarter, Curry will be forced to guard players such as Chris Paul and Tony Parker in the 4th quarter and as Thursday nights 42 point, 15 assist, 6 steal night from Paul showed, Curry will need to improve defensively.
Andre Iguodala showed Thursday night that he will play a ton of point forward this season for the Warriors. In a game high 43 minutes of action, the 6’6’’ small forward accumulated 14 points and 11 assists providing the Warriors with a ton of versatility on the floor. Iggy shot 62 % and was able to guard his position with rather ease.
His debut on the Warriors was not as prolific and dynamic Wednesday night with him tallying only 7 points and 4 assists and rebounds in a mere 28 minutes of action. Iguodala is still trying to find his role on the Warriors and looked a bit lost at times in the past two nights. But he did have a showtime Laker-esque behind-the-back pass running the break earlier in the week.