Five must-watch games in first half of Warriors' season
The Warriors were a curiosity in 2014, with a rookie coach named Steve Kerr taking over a team coming off back-to-back playoff appearances.They were magnetic in 2016, after adding superstar Kevin Durant to a 73-win team and giving fans around the globe an opportunity to see basketball at its finest.The 2020 Warriors, however, are a mystery. It’s conceivable that only two of their five starters were on the roster to open the 2019-20 season.The NBA schedule released on Friday lays out the first half of a scheduled 72-game season, during which the Warriors will reveal what they have, who they are and how far they can go. Here are five must-see games that surely will provide a glimpse of where they stand.
The Warriors will face old friend and former teammate Kevin Durant for the first time since the 2016 Western Conference Finals, when he was a member of the Thunder. The warm embrace shared by Stephen Curry and Durant was a depiction of their mutual respect. Don’t be surprised if Draymond Green, 25 months after a late-game dispute with KD pulled back the curtain of their faltering relationship, also shares a friendly greeting.
And then there is the matchup between Brooklyn point guard Kyrie Irving and Curry. Irving can always reflect on his game-winning shot, over Curry, in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. Curry can flash his three rings.
As a bonus, it will be the first clash of longtime pals Steve Nash and Kerr as opposing coaches.
Warriors management has coveted back-to-back MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for about three years and they’ve gotten no closer than competing against him on the court. They’d still like to believe this is the last time they have face him in Milwaukee, if not at all.
After posting the league’s best record last season, the Bucks again flamed out early in the playoffs and responded by doing some retooling. Their most notable move was upgrading at point guard, trading Eric Bledsoe for Jrue Holiday, but the rest of the roster is mostly intact.
The Warriors have won three in a row in Milwaukee but did not make the trip last season.
The teams first meet two days earlier, on Wednesday, at Chase Center, so this Friday night matchup is the second of a two-game series unique to this season.
Longtime Warriors nemesis Montrezl Harrell is subtracted, but the superior Serge Ibaka has been added, along with Nic Batum and Luke Kennard and new head coach Tyronn Lue.
Why is this the more important game? If either team manages a sweep, it’s an early-season statement. Insofar as LA is considered closer to the top, the Warriors are in position to make the bigger bang. Back-to-back home losses would be quite the setback.
The last time the Warriors faced a defending champion Lakers team was April 6, 2011. Kobe Bryant scored an easy 25 for LA and Ekpe Udoh started at center for Golden State.
This time around, the Warrior are coming at LeBron James and Anthony Davis and an improved supporting cast, with Dennis Schroder, Marc Gasol, Wesley Matthews and the aforementioned Harrell.
Both teams should be better than they were last season. May this be the first of many games – regular-season and postseason – that constitute the highly competitive Warriors-Lakers rivalry Bay Area fans have long craved but never had.
Andre Iguodala, still a favorite among Warriors fans, makes his second appearance as an opponent at Chase Center – and his first as a member of the defending Eastern Conference champions.
Miami’s fabulous postseason play, orchestrated by the redoubtable Jimmy Butler, was in some ways reminiscent of the Warriors of 2014-15, with strong defense, fabulous 3-point shooting and absolute fearlessness. Like those Warriors, the Heat crept up and surprised a few people.
It’s Game 30, and by then the Warriors should have a good idea where they rank in the NBA.
Jan. 1-3: Consecutive home games against the improved Portland Trail Blazers.
Jan. 14-15: Back-to-back road games at Denver and Phoenix, the most imposing back-to-back of the first half.
Feb. 2: The Boston Celtics come to Chase Center.
Feb. 4-6: Consecutive road games at Dallas.
Feb. 13: Durant returns to the Bay Area with the Nets.
