Preseason opener proves Warriors must be elite in two key areas

A game-winning three-pointer from Lindy Waters III lifted the Golden State Warriors to a 91-90 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in their preseason opener on Saturday.

The Warriors led 53-49 at half-time at which point key players on both teams sat, allowing others to get an opportunity including Waters who finished with a game-high 15 points on 5-of-7 three-point shooting.

The Warriors will need to be elite on the boards and in transition

There was little flow for Golden State on the offensive end, having shot the ball at just 33.7% from the floor and 22.9% from three-point range. While some of that can be attributed to rustiness associated with the first preseason outing, there is some concern based on how this roster is formulated.

The Warriors have already spoken about wanting to be an elite top 5-7 defense this season. If they prioritize that end of the floor by playing certain combinations, it's highly likely to come at the expense of their offense. As a result, there's two key elements Golden State will need to be elite in should they wish to return to the playoffs this season.

Taking advantage of transition opportunities

Steve Kerr started Stephen Curry, De'Anthony Melton, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis on Saturday. That unit is likely to struggle in half-court offense, such is the lack of shooting and spacing with Kuminga, Green and Jackson-Davis together.

Therefore it's imperative that the Warriors not only be elite defensively, but also take advantage of transition opportunities where they can use the athleticism offered by Kuminga and Jackson-Davis. The starters went on a 9-0 run at one stage during the first-quarter, showcasing how their defense can lead to offense like in the clip below.

Golden State won the fast-break points 22-16 -- that's an interesting statistic to monitor because if the Warriors can't win it more often than not, then they may be set for some significant problems.

Being an elite rebounding team

Rebounding will be a vitally important area for Golden State over the course of the season. Firstly, you can't complete a defensive stop and start a transition opportunity without first securing the ball. Just as importantly though, if the Warriors are forced into half-court sets where they may struggle without a second go-to scorer, then generating second and even third opportunities with offensive rebounds will be key.

That's where they arguably won the game on Saturday, having tallied 10 more offensive rebounds than the Clippers which contributed to an additional 20 field-goal attempts. Despite often being viewed as small, the Warriors led the league in rebounds per game last season in a mantle they'll hope to re-establish again in 2024-25.