Following months of anticipation, the Golden State Warriors begin their road to redemption on December 12 as preseason kicks off.
It has been nearly 300 days since the Golden State Warriors suited up against other NBA competition. Thankfully, the wait is nearly over, as the Dubs are set to begin preseason against the Denver Nuggets on December 12.
The Warriors will kick off the season at home before traveling to Sacramento for back-to-back road games against the Kings. From here, the Dubs have only a few days for the official start to the 2020-21 season.
What can we expect from the Warriors in this year’s preseason? While these games would normally be nothing more than a bit of early run for each team, it’s possible the Warriors take this opportunity to build chemistry seriously.
As we said, the Dubs haven’t played together in months. And, they have a fraction of the usual time to get things back on track before a shortened 72 game season starts. There is no moment to waste if they plan on returning to the top as champions in 2021.
For players like Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, this is the time to put their leadership skills to the test. No longer will they be running alongside a championship proven squad. Now, the two vets have to teach a cast of young prospects what it’s like to be a winner.
The preseason will be especially important for James Wiseman. The No. 2 pick only appeared in three collegiate games and has yet to run against professional comp. The learning curve will be steep for Wiseman and it’s vital he speeds his development process up as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team needs to integrate itself. Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre Jr., Kent Bazemore and Eric Paschall need to begin ironing out their roles with the team. Preseason is a chance for them to do this.
I wouldn’t expect to see great basketball from the Dubs early on. But, if they want to hoist a trophy this summer, they better take every game seriously.