Clippers at Warriors
For the first time since before Stephen Curry led the team to the NBA championship in 2014-15, the Golden State Warriors enter a regular season without being the favorites in the Western Conference. Curry, Draymond Green and a different-looking Warriors roster will open the 2019-20 campaign by hosting the team that most predict to take over their perch atop the West, the Los Angeles Clippers, on Thursday.
The Warriors lost Kevin Durant to free agency after falling to the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals last spring and are expected to spend the season without All-Star guard Klay Thompson, who signed a max extension with the team over the summer after suffering a torn knee ligament in the Finals. "We have to prepare our young guys to fill that role behind him, and when he gets back, whenever that is, hopefully these young guys now are developed and in the rotation and ready to really be contributors on a playoff team and we can get better," Kerr told NBC Sports Bay Area after explaining the timetable for Thompson's recovery likely puts him out for the season. The Clippers, who have been unable to get by Golden State in recent seasons and were bounced in the first round last spring by the Warriors, remade the top of their roster with the additions of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and got off to a strong start with a 112-102 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. Leonard led the way with 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting while George sat out as he continues to rehab from shoulder surgery.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (1-0): George is without a timetable for his return, so Los Angeles leaned heavily on its solid second unit in the opener, with each of the four reserves used scoring in double figures. Veteran sixth man Lou Williams led the bench crew with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting and helped the team lock down on defense while holding the Lakers to 17 points in the final quarter. "We got players on the team that want to play defense pretty much," Leonard told reporters. "We got some big bodies, we're long, as long as we come out and be aggressive and play with our active hands, be in spots, it's gonna be tough for people to score on us when it's in a half-court."
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (2018-19: 57-25): Hall of Famer Michael Jordan made waves this week when he suggested that Curry was not yet a Hall of Famer, but Kerr - a former teammate of Jordan's - seems to believe Curry is at his peak. "It's the perfect time physically and mentally where everything's come together," Kerr old reporters of Curry during training camp. "He's in his prime age-wise, strength and conditioning-wise and defensively he's seen everything that's come his way. Teams have played him every possible way that you could think of, and he's had years now to work on counters. So, he's kind of in his sweet spot right now, and he has been the last couple years. And hopefully that continues for the next few years. But he's an amazing player." Curry will have to get used to playing with All-Star guard D'Angelo Russell, who arrived from the Brooklyn Nets over the summer and is expected to take over some of the scoring lost from Durant's departure and Thompson's injury.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Warriors SG Alec Burks (ankle) is expected to play Thursday.
2. Clippers SG Rodney McGruder (ankle) sat out Tuesday and is day-to-day.
3. Golden State took three of the four regular-season meetings last season.