Golden State Warriors 99-125 Brooklyn Nets: 5 Talking points as Kevin Durant blows out his former team on NBA Opening Night
The Golden State Warriors were no match for the Brooklyn Nets who were buoyed by the presence of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant among their ranks. Despite a whopping 13 turnovers in the first half from the Eastern Conference outfit, they dominated the game from the opening tip and blew out the Warriors 125-99.
Both Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets featured nearly full-strength rosters with the former missing Draymond Green due to injury. The occasion also marked the playing debut of James Wiseman and the regular season coaching debut of Steve Nash. It also marked the return of KD in a competitive setting.
On that note, let us look at five talking points from the first game of the 2020-21 NBA season.
#5 The Brooklyn Nets showcase their depth
The Brooklyn Nets are among several teams over the luxury tax threshold this season but at least with them, it's a case of money well spent. They looked seriously good even outside the dynamic duo of Kyrie and KD.
Caris LeVert was sharp with his distance shooting and accounted for 20 points. He's set to be the Nets' impact player off the bench. Joe Harris and Spencer Dinwiddie also combined for 19 points and 12 rebounds against the Golden State Warriors.
#5 Golden State Warriors' suspect shooting
The shooting accuracy was visibly amiss for the Golden State Warriors in the preseason and it's nowhere close to being rectified right now. The Dubs shot 37.4% from the field and did not exhibit any scoring rhythm throughout the game.
Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andrew Wiggins had a night to forget in particular, with the duo going a combined 7-of-30 for the game. Stephen Curry had 20 points but he also shot the ball at a mere 33% clip.
The Golden State Warriors' offense didn't test the Brooklyn Nets' defense in general. There wasn't enough ball movement, the screening game was amiss, and there was rarely a player cutting to the rim.
Also read: Golden State Warriors 99-125 Brooklyn Nets: Kevin Durant's return sends NBA Twitter into a frenzy