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NBA: 5 Things We Learned On Opening Night

By Josh Cornelissen

Oct 25, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; General view during the ring ceremony and NBA championship banner raising ceremony before a game against the New York Knicks at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 25, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; General view during the ring ceremony and NBA championship banner raising ceremony before a game against the New York Knicks at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
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October 25, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts during the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Oracle Arena. The Spurs defeated the Warriors 129-100. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
October 25, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts during the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Oracle Arena. The Spurs defeated the Warriors 129-100. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

The Golden State Warriors Are Not Going 82-0

Not since Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls teams has a team opened as the odds-on favorite to win the title. That’s not simply in the NBA — across all four major sports.

Golden State added a top-five player to the greatest team in regular season history and all signs pointed to immediate liftoff.

Unfortunately for those hoping for another 24-0 start, the Warriors started out with a loss after the Spurs blew them off the court.

While 81-1 is still in play, more likely Tuesday night’s result reveals that the Warriors are probably just like every other “super team” — they need a few games to mesh.

The 2011 Miami Heat began 9-8 before making the NBA Finals. Although LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all wanted to play together, it took real game action for them to mesh.

Similarly, the 2013 Los Angeles Lakers added future Hall of Famers Steve Nash and Dwight Howard to a team featuring Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, and started slow out of the gate. They began 20-26 that season … and limped out to the tune of a first-round playoff sweep.

Super teams don’t always work.

Must Read: NBA Southeast Division: 5 Burning Questions For 2016-17 Season

There is still every reason to expect the Warriors to pull things together and lead the league in wins. But last night shows that no matter how high the hype grows, basketball is still played on a court between 10 men and once the ball is tipped, anything can happen.