Golden State Warriors: 3 players that must improve after a poor season opener

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - OCTOBER 18: Jordan Poole #3 of the Golden State Warriors looks on against the Los Angeles Lakers during a pre-season game on October 18, 2019 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - OCTOBER 18: Jordan Poole #3 of the Golden State Warriors looks on against the Los Angeles Lakers during a pre-season game on October 18, 2019 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
1 of 4
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The Golden State Warriors allowed the christening of the Chase Center to be ruined by a half-hearted performance, losing by 19 points in their season opener.

If the Golden State Warriors want to avoid missing the playoffs, they must be better. Yes, I do realize they lost to the Los Angeles Clippers, arguably the best team in the Western Conference, but they looked completely lost and inept.

A few players had memorable moments. D’Angelo Russell put together back-to-back threes in the first half and Kevon Looney even drilled a three as well. However, when looking at this game, there was far more bad than good.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the game was already out of reach. Kawhi Leonard may not have even seen fourth-quarter minutes as the Clippers put on cruise control en route to their second-straight victory. They could’ve easily won this game by 30+.

The Warriors didn’t concede though. Their young guns continued to battle, although Steve Kerr did pull Steph Curry when it was clear there was zero chance of a comeback. Overall, they left quite a bit to be desired from this matchup.

The one aspect of this game we can brag on is the Warriors’ rebounding. The Warriors were +3 on the boards and +12 on the offense boards, although that was in part because the Clippers shot 62.5%, allowing for few offensive rebounding chances.

Ultimately, if just a few Warriors stepped up, this game could’ve been completely different. That said, let’s dive into three Warriors that must be better in the coming weeks for the team to win.