Golden State Warriors Pick Up From Where They Left Off

The Golden State Warriors secured a 111-95 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on opening night on Tuesday, and it was almost like they’d never been away.

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Stephen Curry ended the game with 40 points, seven assists and six rebounds on a memorable night for the franchise as they enjoyed the ring ceremony prior to tip-off, but it was the performance on the court that followed it that impressed the most. Naturally, it wasn’t a perfect display from both an individual or collective point of view, and for the Los Angeles Clippers it was another excuse to suggest that the Warriors were lucky given the injuries that the Pelicans had to deal with going into the game.

Nevertheless, it was the perfect way to start the year as the players weren’t distracted by the celebrations and atmosphere before the game and maintained their focus on the task in hand when it would have been easy to get caught up in the moment.

As noted throughout the pre-season, it was simply a case of the Warriors needing the regular season to get started before we would see the best of them. Although we’re not quite there yet in terms of seeing their best basketball, it was a great base on which to build.

The critics and doubters remain defiant in their claims that the Warriors will not be able to repeat, and there were question marks prior to the new season. However, the players answered them for the most part on Tuesday night as the motivation and desire to go again is evidently there.

Curry was at his best, dishing and swishing – and even seemed to have improved over the course of the offseason. He began to take shots further from the three-point line, and while it is still early days, it seems like the Warriors have given him the green light to fire at will. But he wasn’t the only one that improved, as Festus Ezeli started the season by proving that last season’s performance wasn’t a fluke. He looked more comfortable with the ball, and was much better at finishing around the rim than he looked last season. Draymond Green showed off some incredible defense on Anthony Davis, limiting him to just 4-of-20 from the field.

The Warriors are well and truly back, and any concerns of them taking their foot of the pedal have been tabled for now.

Steve Kerr‘s continued absence on the sidelines is tinged with sadness, but all concerned will wish him a speedy and full recovery as he conceded that he didn’t have a specific date for his return after experiencing problems following on from back surgery during the off-season. The win over the Pelicans would certainly have lifted his spirits, but the Warriors as a whole can take confidence from their efforts as they can now look to build on it and push on with ambitions of repeating their success from the regular season last year.

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