Golden State Warriors: 3 takeaways from Game 1 statement win vs. Blazers

1. The Splash Brothers show out

In the absence of the team’s leading scorer, both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have moved up in the scoring hierarchy within Golden State’s offensive game plan. Both became familiar — and great — within those roles before KD arrived. It was a mindset they’d have to jump back into in order to keep the offense flowing smoothly.

Steph’s numbers don’t suffer much with Durant on the court compared to when he’s off, but there’s a creativity to his game that comes out when the spotlight is all his. He’s not constantly worrying about KD’s shot totals. Instead, his mind turns off in the best way and the greatest shooter ever is gifted the ultimate green light.

He shot 12-of-23 from the field and 9-of-15 from 3-point range on his way to a game-high 36 points with seven assists. The pressure he puts on the defense is unlike any the league has ever seen before, which subsequently creates open looks for his teammates.

Klay was not the model of efficiency on Tuesday night, shooting 10-for-24 from the floor and 3-for-9 from distance. He still managed to put in 26 points with a blend of outside shooting and off-the-dribble playmaking.

What makes these two all-time level shooters great isn’t simply the number of points they put up. Rather, it’s the manner in which they go about their business, creating headaches for defenses everywhere with a demoralizing brand of shot-making.

KD is one of the greatest players in NBA history. When the Splash Brothers have it going, though, it’s an aerial assault unlike any other, and one that is clearly still just as effective as it was at the beginning of this Warriors dynasty.