5 Takeaways from Warriors win over the Kings

KD fits just fine

Whether it was out of fear or a genuine concern, one of the narratives that followed the Warriors after Kevin Durant signed was: will he fit? People questioned if Golden State would be able to incorporate the former MVP into their already efficient system. Turns out, they can.

For most of his career, Durant has played in an isolation-heavy system. In Oklahoma City, the Thunder expected him to just make plays on his own. Even worse, there was this sense that he and Russell Westbrook were just taking turns, not really working together to put the ball in the basket.

Golden State clearly plays differently. They have playmakers everywhere that want to get the ball to the open man. Whether that’s Kevin Durant or Ian Clark, the ball is going to find the person that’s in the best position to score.

Durant had 25 points in 26 minutes. He was 8/11 from the field and 4/6 from beyond the arc. He got into his rhythm early and the Kings couldn’t do anything about it. He was all over the place without doing too much. He didn’t take away from anything the other Warriors on the court were doing–it was just in the flow of the game.

So, it turns out, one of the best players in basketball can thrive on a team with a two-time MVP and multiple All-NBA stars. Sorry, NBA.