There were several takeaways from the Golden State Warriors’ 129-125 preseason win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Concerns over starting a small backcourt consisting of Steph Curry and Chris Paul were somewhat justified. Breakdowns in communication and confusion in terms of coverages on and off the ball were apparent, although whether that’s a function of a process of chemistry building, a night out in Los Angeles, or both is yet to be determined.
There was the typical second-unit experimentation where Steve Kerr was content with hockey substitutions while clearly trying out different combinations. Suffice to say, the second unit needs a healthy dose of grownup decision making — something that Paul happens to be an expert in.