The Golden State Warriors got their first preseason action on Sunday night as they took on the Los Angeles Clippers in Hawaii. There was some clear rust from the team and while it was encouraging to see Stephen Curry play given the concerns over the knee injury that hampered him last season, it was obvious that his turnover problems are not going away anytime soon.
Luca Evans of the San Francisco Chronicle posted the following about Curry's turnovers: "Stephen Curry still in preseason mode. Has thrown a couple passes out on drives in first half here that have had no chance. Just miscommunicated with Gui Santos on a back-cut."
Overall it was not a bad night for Curry by any stretch. He scored 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting and made two of this three attempts from three-point range. Still, he had two turnovers in only 13 minutes played. While no one would bat an eye at that for pretty much Curry's entire career, head coach Steve Kerr has talked about how Curry and Draymond Green will not be given a free pass to turn the ball over the way they have in the past.
It will take time for Warriors to implement new offense
Kerr is trying to implement a new style of offense in which more of a premium is placed on ball security. It's going to take time to implement that, and it could be quite the adjustment it is going for guys like Curry and Green who are used to playing a different style of basketball.
When the Warriors were at their best, turnovers were accepted because the offense could be so explosive that it didn't really matter. The Warriors no longer have that explosive element in their offense, and they're going to have to adjust as a result.
The question is just how bad the growing pains are going to be. The hope is that the team is able to iron out the kinks in the preseason and then hit the ground running once the regular season begins, but that may be wishful thinking.
The most likely outcome is that these growing pains for Curry, and the entire team, will last into the regular season. That's not ideal because the only way the Warriors can contend this year is if they get off to a good start and force the front office to make a move at the trade deadline.
Contention isn't the ultimate goal this season though. Kerr wants to leave the Warriors in a good place when he's gone. If adapting to this new style and cutting down on the turnovers takes all season, he may be just fine with that if it means the team is positioned better for the future.
Curry is talented, selfless, and hard-working enough that he will cut down on turnovers this season, but he's turned the ball over his whole career so it's going to take time for him to adapt.
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