The NBA opens with a bang as the Golden State Warriors take on the Brooklyn Nets
The 2020-21 NBA season gets underway an intriguing matchup on opening night between the Golden State Warriors and the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center. This game should be full of entertainment and storylines as both these teams have huge expectations coming into the new season.
The Warriors will begin to try and get back into contention in a stacked Western Conference. They aren’t quite the juggernauts they used to be but they still have a team that should be competitive. Stephen Curry returns fully healthy after missing most of last season with a broken hand.
Unfortunately, fellow teammate and one half of the “Splash Brothers” Klay Thompson tore his Achilles just weeks before the season was to begin. He sat out all of last season after rehabbing from a torn ACL he suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals. The Warriors finished last season with a 15-50 record which turned out to be the worst record in the league.
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As a result, the Warriors were given the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft and selected James Wiseman from the University of Memphis, a 7-foot-1 center who is a versatile big man and is an excellent finisher and is very mobile for his size. Wiseman will be expected to solidify the Warriors’ defense and become the anchor in the middle. Even though last season was very disappointing, especially considering what we are used to seeing from this Warriors team, let’s not forget that they appeared in five of the last six NBA Finals and that they still have a two-time MVP in Curry.
Draymond Green is listed as doubtful for the season opener with a foot injury as his absence will have a major impact as he is the Warriors’ best defensive player and because they will be going up against a walking bucket in Kevin Durant. Andrew Wiggins will be expected to help with the scoring load and take some of the pressure off of Curry.
The former No. 1 overall draft pick never panned out to be the superstar he was projected to become but he is still a decent player who can contribute as a second or third option. The Warriors signed Kelly Oubre Jr., Kent Bazemore, and Brad Wannamaker in the offseason. Either player could start if needed to or come off the bench as all 3 are scrappy defensive players who should be solid rotational pieces.
Eric Paschall should be ready to take on a bigger role coming off a good rookie campaign as he averaged 13.9 points per game along with 4.6 rebounds as he shot an efficient 49.7 percent from the field. This Warriors team will have their hands full as they will face off against a loaded Nets team featuring the dynamic duo of Durant and Kyrie Irving. Not only will this be Durant’s Nets debut, but it will mark the first time he faces his former team since departing via free agency.
Durant hopes to lead his Nets team to a championship and the journey begins tonight as he will be out to prove that he is fully recovered from the torn Achilles he suffered and is still the same MVP-caliber player we are used to seeing. The duo of Durant and Irving looked great in preseason action and we can only sit back, wait and see what damage they inflict upon their opponents once the season begins.
Now we will finally be able to see Durant and Irving in a real game that actually counts in the standings and see what they can do in 30-plus minutes of action and over the course of an entire game. From what he has shown so far, Durant appears to be fully healthy as he still can elevate and shoot his potent jump shot and has also shown the ability to drive and get to the basket.
The Nets also have D’Andre Jordan and Jarrett Allen, a 7-foot big man who averaged a double-double last season averaging 11.1 points per game and 9.6 rebounds per contest. The Nets have the option to put both players in the game together and have two dominant shot blockers and rebounders protecting the paint, but this may be a good strategy for a different opponent due to the Warriors’ ability to shoot the ball.
The coaching matchup should be an interesting one as Steve Kerr, who has coached the Warriors to 3 titles, will match wits against a first-time head coach in Steve Nash who will be making his coaching debut. While Nash is considered to be a great basketball mind and will be the architect responsible for designing a scheme to get the most out of the dynamic weapons he has at his disposal. Kerr has the one thing that’s invaluable that trumps every other factor and that’s experience.
It will be interesting to see how both coaches adjust and what rotations they use during the course of the game. This game should be an interesting one and expect Curry and company to come out guns with guns blazing. In the end, the Nets should be able to match the Warriors shot for shot, but while the Warriors have plenty of offensive threats, the Nets have the edge on the defensive end of the floor which should turn out to be the difference between the game.
Prediction: Nets 124, Warriors, 111.