The Golden State Warriors got a nice victory in the first game of the regular season against the Los Angeles Lakers, winning 119-109 despite their superstar, Stephen Curry, not having his absolute best game.
That is a big cause for optimism for the Warriors after Curry had 23 points and made only three of his nine three-point attempts in just over 32 minutes played. It was not a signature Curry performance by any stretch of the imagination, but other players stepped up in a big way.
Stephen Curry does not have to do it all for the Warriors this season
Jimmy Butler was phenomenal, putting up 31 points on the night and regularly driving to the basket to draw fouls which got him to the free throw line where he was a perfect 16-for-16 on the night.