Golden State Warriors: 3 takeaways from 2017-18 season opener

3. So much has to go wrong

There is one legitimate cause for concern following the Warriors opening night loss: Houston is a beast. It looked just as lethal as ever offensively while showing off scary length and quickness on D, and should only improve as it integrates Paul.

It still was outclassed by Golden State for three quarters, turning it on only once Green left the game with a strained knee. Already missing Andre Iguodala and losing Omri Casspi for the second half, the Warriors were down three of their four best forwards.

It was the Green injury that proved too much to overcome. He is not only the team’s defensive rock, but the exact type of defender that can render Houston’s newfound lineup versatility ineffective. The Dubs were outscored 34-22 once he left the game.

Iguodala could have mitigated the issue by smothering Eric Gordon (who dropped 24 points) or Tucker (who put up 20), and even Casspi could have brought needed size to a closing lineup that saw Shaun Livingston and Patrick McCaw playing next to Curry, Thompson and Durant.

Next: 2017-18 NBA season previews, predictions and power rankings

Despite the injuries and Houston’s bench explosions, the Warriors were a few tenths-of-a-second away from winning. They will be challenged this season; the West is loaded. But opening night was a showcase of how tough they are to beat, even as they were beaten.