NBA basketball is back as the Golden State Warriors prepare for their first preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The NBA preseason is upon us. After a summer of questions, the Golden State Warriors begin their journey to another championship today. A showdown with the new and improved Los Angeles Lakers may not mean much in the preseason, or does it?
Usually, the preseason is shrugged off by most people. It’s simply viewed as a time for players to get back into game shape and make minor adjustments to their rotations. However, as we are currently seeing with James Harden and the Houston Rockets, maybe the preseason is more important than we thought.
Harden certainly hasn’t been slacking in the preseason. In his first game, he recorded a triple-double before half time. Then, against the LA Clippers, Harden put up 37 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists.
Most importantly, Harden took this time to debut a new move. In both games, the former MVP showed off his one-legged, running 3-pointer. Though he missed both attempts, he was able to draw a foul and connect on three free-throws in his second try at the move.
What does this mean for the Warriors? Well, it should be inspiring Steve Kerr to get creative with the lineups the Dubs run in the preseason. With a number of new additions to the squad, this is a great time to experiment and get an idea of what will work in the regular season.
Perhaps the Dubs can test a game in which D’Angelo Russell comes off of the bench. Or, they can allow D-Lo to be the primary ball-handler and watch as Stephen Curry plays more off-ball. Whatever idea the coaching staff can think of, this is the time to try it.
Don’t expect anyone on the Warriors roster to go as hard as Harden is currently. The Dubs have longevity in mind and going all-out in a preseason game doesn’t seem conducive to their title aspirations.
Still, the Warriors should look to experiment through their first few games. There’s a good chance we will see something that becomes a permanent trend for this team.