Warriors observations: Podziemski impresses in win vs. Lakers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The NBA preseason is less about winning than building cohesion and developing chemistry, both of which will involve considerable experimentation.
The Warriors will find many lessons upon reviewing video of their 129-125 victory Friday night over the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.
Coach Steve Kerr, after drawing a hard line between starters and reserves in the preseason opener last week, took a few liberties with his rotation, occasionally putting second-unit member to share the court with starters. The results were mixed.
Stephen Curry was sharp, pouring in 18 points in 21 minutes, adding four assists and three rebounds. None of the starters played more than the 22 minutes put in by Klay Thompson, who finished with eight points, three rebounds and two assists.
Here are three observations from the second of Golden State’s five preseason games:
Paul struggles in his specialty
Chris Paul’s 18-year career pretty much defines the offensive role of the traditional point guard. He’s a capable scorer, but his primary function is controlling tempo and ensuring the stability of the unit. That’s his bag.
CP3’s bag had a hole in it in this game.
Perhaps the league’s foremost practitioner in ball security – he always ranks among the best in the NBA assist-to-turnover ratio – Paul committed five turnovers in 20 minutes. Some were related to miscommunication, but a couple simply were beneath his standard.
Some of the errors are the natural result of playing his second game with new teammates. There will be mistakes, even among veterans, because it’s part of the learning process. Kevin Durant and Curry didn’t begin to mesh until the Warriors had played about 25 regular-season games.
Expect Paul to make a quick transition. He’ll figure it out because he always has – and he has been with five previous teams. There is no need for panic – not yet.
Defense looks familiar, and not in a good way
The Warriors were 11-30 on the road last season and perhaps nothing deserved more blame than their defense. It…
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