Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The 18,000 seats at Chase Center were unoccupied, the artificial sound a poor replacement. Klay Thompson was nowhere to be found. Neither were James Wiseman and Draymond Green, whose absences reminded why the Warriors had not played a game in nine months. Hell, even Stephen Curry, whose return feels like a few-weeks-early Christmas present, was not quite himself.
Still: Warriors basketball is back in your life, even if it’s not the San Francisco brick-and-mortar destination the Warriors and fans would want it to be.
So much was different as the Warriors opened their preseason on Saturday night, although the final result should have felt familiar to fans pining for the Warriors dynasty, a 107-105 victory over the Nuggets as the Warriors took their first steps toward an uncertain season in style.
For those needing a reminder this does not really matter: A couple late Bol Bol missed free throws helped make the difference. Preseason basketball!
After the game, Steve Kerr was most excited by a defense that limited Denver to 28 percent shooting from 3.
“I think we have a chance to be an excellent defensive team,” the coach said over Zoom. “Really excited.”
Here's NBA basketball in an empty 18k seat arena sounds like ⬇️? pic.twitter.com/Ew868jAIkI
— KNBR (@KNBR) December 13, 2020
In their first action since March 10, after which the world spun out of control, the Warriors emerged from the other side looking like a team that has reason to believe it can contend, even if there are plenty of “ifs” that accompany those chances.
Their superstar, now donning cornrows and a headband, looked mortal in scoring just 10 points in 21 minutes on 3-of-10 shooting. Their second star, Thompson, is gone for the year, rendering a championship threat into merely a playoff threat. Green is away after a reported positive test, a sad wake-up call about the issue facing the world beyond the Warriors.
The supporting cast around Curry was the most encouraging development of the night, helping lead Golden State to a 17-point first-half lead (and up 61-50 at the break) despite Curry’s struggles.
“He looks really good physically, that’s the main thing,” Kerr said about Curry. “… He’s in great shape. Now it’s just a matter of getting his timing and his rhythm down.”
The Warriors’ leading scorer was Kent Bazemore, whose second tenure with the team kicked off with 10 first-half points on 4-of-5 shooting, finishing with 13 on 4-of-6.
The best plus-minus of the first half belonged to Brad Wanamaker, who led the second group and registered a plus-13 at the break, with four points, two assists and a steal. The under-the-radar signing finished with eight points and looks like an NBA player, not one who has played significant minutes overseas.
The Warriors led by 20 early in the third quarter before the lead evaporated without Curry & Co. on the court. Mychal Mulder’s three fourth-quarter 3s helped the Warriors escape. In the fight for the last roster spot, going 3-for-4 from deep will help Mulder’s case.
Andrew Wiggins (3-of-8 for eight points) did not look like he was about to break out, though the Warriors know he doesn’t have to for the team to be competitive. Kevon Looney, quietly back after missing so much of last season, looked healthy in logging 18 minutes with eight points, six rebounds and three assists.
There were plenty of places from which hopes can launch. But despite his off night, seeing Curry pull up from deep during a fastbreak is a sign that he is still Stephen Curry, and the Warriors are always a threat.
Steph turnin' defense into offense real quick
? @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/XqRq6l0LwK
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 13, 2020
Wiseman, the second-overall pick, was in the building, Kerr said before the game. He and Green both reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus. Green was not at Chase Center.