The Golden State Warriors began their season on the road and their first stop was in Portland for a match against the young Trail Blazers. After a tie game in the first quarter, the Warriors exploded in the second frame, opening up a 12-point lead that never shrank. By the final buzzer, the Warriors were victorious in a convincing 139-104 blowout that barely saw them break a sweat.

The Dubs, who are now 1-0 on the season, were led by Buddy Hield off the bench, who dropped 22 points on five made three-pointers. He only played 14 minutes in the game, but his shooting opened up the floor for his teammates and allowed others to heat up their own game, like Jonathan Kuminga who dropped 10 points and 4 rebounds on 33% shooting.

Andrew Wiggins scored 15 points in the game (6-12 FG) while Warriors superstar Stephen Curry nearly recorded a triple-double with 17 points, 10 assists, and 9 rebounds in a team-high 25 minutes on the court. Draymond Green was unusually quiet in the game, contributing 8 points (3-3 FG) and 6 rebounds. As usual, he set the tone defensively with 2 blocks and helped hold the Blazers to 37.7% shooting from the field.

Of course, their level of competition wasn’t the strongest. After finishing with the West’s worst record last season, the Trail Blazers are headed for the lottery once again and this game tonight proved how far away they are to a team like the Warriors, who still have multiple Hall of Famers to lead the way. Scoot Henderson was their leading scorer with 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists off the bench while young sharpshooter Anfernee Simons finished with 15 points, 3 assists, and 2 rebounds. It obviously wasn’t enough to get the win and the blowout left the Warriors feeling optimistic about their chances in the West this year.

Stephen Curry Is Still One Of The Best

Thanks to the lopsided score, Steph only played the first three quarters before being benched by Steve Kerr. At 36 years old, the 2x MVP is going to be on a tight system with his workload but he didn’t show any signs of slowing down tonight with a box score of 17 points, 10 assists, 9 rebounds, and 2 steals on 40% shooting.

While he may not be the guy he was in his prime, Curry is still one of the best in the world and his ability to attract and pull the defense opens up the floor in major ways for guys like Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, and Curry’s new backcourt teammate Buddy Hield.

Tonight, Steph led all starters at +23 and did a little bit of everything on the court with 3 three-pointers, 6 made free throws, and 10 assists in his very first game of the year. Even after 15 seasons, Steph Curry hasn’t lost a step and even when he has a relatively low scoring night he can make an impact in other ways as he did tonight with his passing and playmaking.

Buddy Hield’s Impressive Shooting Display

Hield’s 22 points (5-7 from three) and 5 rebounds were huge for the Warriors tonight and as one of the summer’s biggest acquisitions, it must feel good to have him contribute in such a meaningful way.

In the wake of Klay Thompson’s departure, there were concerns about whether the Warriors would have enough depth and scoring to keep up with the NBA’s elite teams. Last season, they struggled to consistently rack up points and it led to Stephen Curry (4x champion) trying to carry a load that was far too heavy.

Fortunately, Buddy Hield has stepped in to provide some of that crucial perimeter shooting. After dropping 22 points in the final preseason game over the Kings last week, and helping the Warriors remain undefeated in the process, Buddy has been an early success story for the Warriors and he’s made it easier for them to adjust to losing Thompson.

The former 6th overall pick was +20 against the Blazers and single-handedly accounted for 25% of the team’s made three-pointers. If he can shoot like that for the rest of the season, the Warriors will be a tough team to handle and they may surface as a serious threat to challenge the Western Conference contenders.

The Return Of The Warriors’ Defense

The Golden State Warriors mostly won the championship with their three-point shooting, but their play on defense allowed them to still win even when the shots weren’t falling. Since their title un in 2022, the Warriors’ defense has seen a sharp decline but it looked really good tonight after holding the Trail Blazers to 104 points on 39.1% shooting.

Their efforts on that end today mirrored their efforts from the glory days and you could see that it was preventing the Blazers from getting into any kind of rhythm. Out of all Trail Blazers, only three managed to shoot at least 50% from the field and they only combined for 11 points.

Despite some of his more glaring flaws regarding anger and self-control, Draymond Green is the lifeblood of the Warriors’ defense and he’s thrived in a role alongside Stephen Curry. In a frontcourt with Tracye Jackson-Davis, Green seemingly has the Warriors playing elite-level defense once again and it’ll be the ticket to getting them back into play for the championship.

While it’s just the first of 82 games this season, the Warriors have a lot to be excited about after opening night. With contributions from both new and old players, they have a lot to work with this season and it won’t be a major surprise to see them back in the fold for another long playoff run. But even after this win, and their undefeated preseason, the Warriors cannot let up now and they must keep fighting with utmost urgency in order to sustain their momentum for as long as possible.