Golden State Warriors: 3 Reasons Warriors Are On Track
After a shaky start, the Golden State Warriors put in their first signature win Tuesday night in Portland. What takeaways point to a team putting things together?
For a franchise that upgraded on a team that won 73 games, a lackluster start was not in the cards. After starting 24-0 last season, the Golden State Warriors fell on their face on Opening Night, losing by 29 at home to the San Antonio Spurs.
Newly acquired Kevin Durant played well, but the Warriors’ holdovers couldn’t muster any competition.
Two lackluster wins against lottery teams did not do much to put fans and critics at ease. The Warriors could only muster a six-point win against the Phoenix Suns, a team that lost by 19 to the Sacramento Kings.
An eight-point win against the New Orleans Pelicans doesn’t mean much when that same squad loses to the Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks at home.
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A road game against the Portland Trail Blazers was an opportunity for the Warriors to test themselves against a solid opponent. Could Golden State put things together, or was the dominance going to be pushed back even further?
Portland got off to a fast start, but it was the Warriors’ night and their first blowout win of the season was not to be denied.
A couple of first-half runs put them ahead at the break, and a dominant third quarter put Golden State up by 27 entering the fourth. A familiar scene for those following the Warriors last season.
How did Golden State shake off whatever was plaguing them — be it rust, lack of chemistry, or the weight of being America’s new villain — and blow out a solid Portland squad? In every win there are a number of things to point to, but three things in particular stand out from the victory.
The most prominent, of course, is the excellence of Wardell Stephen Curry III.