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Five thoughts from the Warriors’ season-opening win over the Thunder

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© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports


OAKLAND – This is it, folks. The Warriors will never open another season in Oakland. The championship ring ceremony for the team’s third title in four years overshadowed that fact to start the night, but the reality of Oracle Arena’s final days as the Warriors’ domain is now upon us.

The season opener came down to the wire, but a running floater from Kevin Durant proved to be a dagger for a 108-100 win against the Russell Westbrook-less Thunder.

Last first night in Oakland

Steve Kerr talked about it before the game tonight. While the Warriors will move to the state-of-the-art Chase Center in San Francisco next season, there’s no avoiding the bitter fact that Oakland has been and always will be a uniquely important place for the Warriors.

“We love Oakland, we feel very close to the people here, whether it’s walking into Oracle or walking around our facility going out to lunch,” Kerr said. “Wandering around, seeing our fans, seeing people we know. We know that the new arena is going to be amazing, we look forward to it, but we’re also going to miss Oracle and we’re going to miss Oakland. There’s not an easy way to slice it. It’s a great move for the organization, we know that, but this place is special, so we want to make sure this is a special season.”

Damian Jones taking massive baby steps

Jones had four comically powerful dunks tonight in his first-ever NBA start. He’ll slot right into the athletic center role that JaVale McGee filled last season. The difference is that Jones is equally, if not more athletic than McGee and he’s only 23 years old. The Warriors’ coaching staff put in a concerted effort in the offseason in developing Jones, and he’s got as much potential as any young big man the Warriors have had in recent years.

The problem is, it’ll take time for Jones to fulfill that potential. He sometimes looked inexperienced and clunky within the Warriors’ offense tonight, and occasionally allowed rebounds that he should’ve snatched.

Yet, he set important screens and when he got even a hint of space, he slammed down vicious dunks like the one below. He finished with 12 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. He is a definite point of interest for the defending champions this season, and provides a youthful energy that hasn’t been present in the last few years.

Early season rust on display against Westbrook-less Thunder

The Warriors’ worst enemy tonight was themselves. They turned the ball over more than they usually do and allowed some easy scoring to a Thunder team that was missing it’s MVP in Russell Westbrook. Wayward, ill-advised passing was a common thread throughout the game, even when it didn’t lead to a turnover.

That, weak defense, and sometimes inconsistent offense allowed the Thunder to snatch a 67-66 lead in the third quarter and allowed the Thunder to tie the game at 87 with less than 10 minutes to go. It was a far cry from the 14-point lead that they opened up in the first half and a weakness that an end-of-year Warriors team rarely, if ever displays. It shouldn’t be a concern for an experienced team, but it’s the sort of sloppy play that will need to be nipped in the bud.

Andre Iguodala exits early

Iguodala is the Warriors’ most important player off the bench, and his value was evident in the playoffs last year when he was out injured. His defensive presence, athleticism and passing ability are invaluable for the Warriors.

Tonight, Iguodala played just two minutes, heading into the locker room with left calf tightness. It’s the same leg that Iguodala had struggles with in the playoffs last year and if he’s not healthy for much of this season, it could be a massive problem. With Patrick McCaw continuing to hold out on the Warriors as a restricted free agent, Alfonzo McKinnie and even two-way player Marcus Derrickson could have important bench roles they never imagined they’d had have.

It’s far too early to sound the alarm on Iguodala or the Warriors being in serious trouble. But, if Iguodala can’t stay healthy, the Warriors are going to have to get creative to replace some his impact, a task that would prove near impossible.

First look at what rotations might be

The starting lineup tonight was Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Damian Jones. Do not expect that to change much until DeMarcus Cousins returns.

Jones, as mentioned above, had moments of inexperience, but as a whole, looks like he’ll fit perfectly into the lineup. Behind him is Kevon Looney, who provided a valuable spark off the bench with 8 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists.

He looks definitively ahead of Jordan Bell in the young center/forward pecking order and played crucial minutes down the stretch in the fourth quarter. In one sequence, Looney slammed home a dunk before locking up Paul George defensively and, with the help of Jones, forced a shot clock violation from George. Looney finished with a game-high plus-minus of +23.

Kerr switched to a small-ball lineup with Green at the center position in the second quarter, but the Warriors coach has stressed he doesn’t want that to become the norm especially early on, and especially with Green seemingly not yet at 100 percent.

Shaun Livingston and Quinn Cook played their usual tandem minutes off the bench, and appeared solid leading the second unit. Alfonzo McKinnie, who was recently signed into the Warriors’ 14th roster spot, played just two minutes. As mentioned above, he could see significant minutes if Iguodala can’t stay healthy.

The final time slot was taken by Jonas Jerebko, who played six minutes early in the fourth quarter. He looks like he could play an important role once/if he adjusts to the Warriors’ offense scheme.

The only Warrior not to play tonight? Jacob Evans III, the team’s first-round draft pick. It seems clear at this point that Kerr does not intend on playing Evans in any significant moments this season. It will largely be a developmental year for the ex-Cincinnati Bearcat, meaning McKinnie or even Derrickson could snatch some minutes on the wing this year.