Golden State Warriors: 3 Takeaways from win over Spurs

While this is a late-season game with a number of stars sitting this one out. Still, the Golden State Warriors left a lot of interesting things on the floor to unpack.

The Warriors managed to leave tonight with a win 100-94 game against the San Antonio Spurs as the two teams battled through the fourth quarter.

The Warriors had five players in double digits as Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga led the charge with 18 points each.

Jonathan Kuminga looked like an All-Star tonight in his 22 minutes of game time.

Kuminga is a completely different player than he was at the beginning of the season. Tonight, he seemed confident, tenacious, and almost angry at times.

The 19-year-old rookie was involved in nearly every play on both ends of the floor, snatching two steals and setting up plays through the post the entire game.

On defense, he seemed like Draymond Green, playing great defense both on the perimeter and in the paint. Even arguing with the officials after calls similarly to former Defensive Player of the Year.

Kuminga seemed much more confident as well, shooting when open without hesitation and fighting for position in the post nearly every time down the floor.

He also battled for rebounds and made extra passes, including a nice one to Nemanja Bjelinca when he noticed the help defense approach.

Kuminga is a future star with all the potential in the world.

Jordan Poole has begun his ascent to stardom.

Tonight, Poole struggled to hit his shots at times, especially from three, shooting 1/11 from beyond the arc. Yet still, his game stood out in a way eerily similar to his teammate Stephen Curry.

The entire game the 22-year-old weaved in and out of the Spurs’ defensive schemes, seemingly finding open looks from three with ease.

Poole got to the basket with an endless barrage of backdoor cuts and also used them to get looks on the perimeter, a trait Curry is often praised for.

Poole combined his off-ball movement and his elite handles to create looks for himself and others, racking up 8 assists on the night.

Poole also looked good on the defensive end, denying passes, clogging the lanes, and playing really solid in every aspect he could. Although this effort is not seen on a stat sheet, it is where Curry, Green, and Klay Thompson have made their money on that end of the floor.

Poole also fought for rebounds and was in the right place at the right time on a lot of those long rebounds as well. Another area he may have learned from Curry.

Overall, Jordan Poole looked incredibly similar to Steph Curry the entire night, the only difference is the fact that his shot just didn’t fall. (Maybe he is similar to Curry this season.)

The Warriors are easy contenders when Curry and Thompson return.

While some have questioned the Warriors’ ability to play at a championship level, tonight may have silenced that.

The Warriors played an incredibly well-balanced game on both ends of the floor with everybody contributing in some way in every play.

While there were stints where they became trigger-happy from three-point range, especially when Green sat, they still managed to make a statement in the paint with drives from Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, and Jordan Poole adding fire to the Warriors’ offense.

The Spurs made a push late in the game, even pulling it to within two points with the clock running down.

This is where the Warriors truly impressed, keeping their composure in a clutch situation as Poole hit a pair of free throws to ice the game. He currently leads the league in free throw percentage at 92% for the season.

The Warriors can beat anybody if they continue to play with the same passion and energy when Curry and Thompson return. They certainly have the talent to bring home the fourth banner of the last decade.