What we learned as Klay shines in Dubs’ preseason finale loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
SAN FRANCISCO – The defending NBA champion Warriors closed out their preseason schedule Friday night with a 119-112 loss to the Denver Nuggets before a sellout crowd at Chase Center.
On a night when the NBA website was down due to a power outage on the East Coast – forcing the game to proceed without official statistics in real time – the Warriors alternated their finer moments with those in which they looked as if they could use a bit more training camp.
The game was fairly close most of the way before Denver’s veteran reserves pulled away by taking advantage of some sloppy play by a squad consisting mostly of Golden State’s youngsters.
Here are three observations from the preseason finale for both teams:
Klay’s shot shines in preseason debut
Coach Steve Kerr said during his pregame news conference that he projected Klay Thompson would play “15 to 16” minutes in his preseason debut. He played 16, all in the first half.
It didn’t take long for Thompson to make waves, either, as he splashed a 3-pointer from the right wing on the first possession of the game. He didn’t slow down, scoring 18 points, per unofficial count of the team website, off six shots from distance.
Getting more of this is going to require patience, as Kerr indicated it’s going to take a few regular-season games before Thompson is comfortably able to reach his usual 34-to-36 minutes per game.
Golden State’s performance and training staff, considering injury history, have plotted out a slow ramp up for the shooting guard entering his 12th NBA season – though he missed all of his ninth and 10th seasons recovering from surgeries to his left ACL and right Achilles’ tendon.
Kuminga flashes more of his promise
Kerr has spent much of the preseason praising Jonathan Kuminga’s evolution, saying that he is rapidly adapting to his surroundings on the court. That much was plainly evident on this night.
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Kuminga made two nifty passes – one of which so caught James Wiseman by surprise that by the time his hands reached out, the ball was sailing out of bounds. Kuminga also defended with a vengeance and awareness and was selective about shot attempts.
And, of course, he got a couple forceful dunks. With the departure of Gary Payton II has the team’s sneaky designated dunker, Kuminga looks like the heir apparent. At the same time, though, JK’s athleticism and physicality give him the versatility to fill in at either forward spot.
Kuminga also appears to be adjusting to his part-time role of small-ball center, where he can exploit matchups. While he struggled defending 7-foot Nikola Jokic, the reigning two-time MVP, Joker also couldn’t keep up with JK.
Where did JK show he remains a work in progress? He fouled out off the bench.
Draymond and Jordan, a picture of serenity
If you were searching for signs of discord between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole, they didn’t provide much to worry about.
Draymond returned to the starting lineup after missing two preseason games and three practices in the wake of his much-publicized right-hand punch to Poole’s face on Oct. 5.
Poole, who started at shooting guard in the previous four games while Thompson sidelined, returned to his Sixth Man role and looked, well, like he normally does. There were a couple thrilling moments and a couple times when he seemed a bit out of sorts.
Most important, there was nothing to indicate friction. They dapped each other up before the game, as usual, and seemed to have no problems during minutes when they were on the court together.
That is what’s most significant as the Warriors prepare for the regular season opener against the Lakers on Tuesday night at Chase.
