Warriors start preseason with 104-101 loss to Clippers in Hawaii

‘Twas only the first game of the preseason, but if it was a portent of the season to come for the Golden State Warriors, it wasn’t a particularly hopeful indicator.

Granted, both Steph Curry (10 points) and Draymond Green (two assists, two steals) played a shade under 15 minutes and saw a grand total of zero second-half action. But the depth behind them, while showing flashes of promise, did not inspire confidence.

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Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg had a measly four points on 1-of-6 shooting but was able to haul in nine boards. A particular aspect of his game that showed some intrigue was his passing in the pick-and-roll:

Yaxel’s PnR passing. Intriguing. https://t.co/grVHv87gOm

— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) October 5, 2026

Head coach Steve Kerr did, however, emphasize the need for Lendeborg to be more aggressive in terms of scoring and looking for his own offense. Considering the dearth of offensive options on the team, it’s imperative that Lendeborg establish his role on the pecking order immediately on that end of the floor.

It was a sentiment that Curry echoed after the game:

Offseason signing Brandon Williams was reportedly very speedy and shifty — with an incredibly high motor, to boot — during practices. Needless to say, he lived up to his rather rapid billing immediately, while promising to bring the much-needed change of pace in the halfcourt that the Warriors have sorely needed:

Dubs go to their “Thumb out” set for Brandon Williams. The get action gives him the downhill momentum for the paint touch and finish at the rim. Such a welcome addition he’s been proving to be so far. https://t.co/0eqPjqYH8w

— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) October 5, 2026

All in all, save for a few eye-catching moments, this collective performance was overall nondescript. Few things stood out as legitimately mouthwatering. The advertised “5-out” offense that Kerr promised was obvious in the manner in which it was clearly a work in progress. One of the more intriguing aspects of that revamped approach was directly using the five-man as a bring-up ball handler, flowing into an inverted pick-and-roll with the floor spread, and dishing…

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Publish date : 2026-10-05 02:47:00

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