Warriors show unselfish offense, increased shooting depth vs. Kings originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
A familiar yet new-look style of Warriors basketball was on display Wednesday night in Golden State’s 122-112 preseason win over the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center.
Five different Warriors players scored in double figures while the team knocked down an astonishing 28 3-pointers, which would have been a franchise record in a regular-season game.
Afterward, Warriors coach Steve Kerr shared his early impressions of the team through two preseason games.
“What I like about this team is I think we have — even though we’ve lost Klay [Thompson] — we have more shooting depth,” Kerr told reporters. “We have, I think, more guys who can step in from one night to the next and make threes, so it will be a big part of our team, for sure.”
New Warriors guard Buddy Hield, who shot 6 of 7 from 3-point range, had one word to describe how the offense played Wednesday.
“Unselfishly. Guys read and react,” Hield told reporters. “Guys like [Brandin Podziemski] spreading the ball around. We had Draymond [Green] [playing] unselfishly. I think it just trickles down from Steve [Kerr], just preaching being unselfish every day and making the right basketball play and the right read.”
Podziemski, a natural point guard who is one of the leading candidates to start next to Steph Curry at shooting guard this season, ran point in the second half and finished with a game-high eight assists.
“My job as a point guard is to get everyone involved,” Podziemski said. “Obviously, Jonathan [Kuminga] had a slow start, so my focus was trying to get him and [Kyle Anderson] the ball, and thankfully they made some shots when I passed it to them. But just doing my job out there.”
Kuminga, the fourth-year forward who broke out last season, was pushed by the Warriors’ coaching staff to improve as a 3-point shooter this offseason, and through two preseason games, he is shooting 4 of 9 (44 percent) from distance.
“I worked on it all summer, and I’m still working on it,” Kuminga said. “I’m just taking the ones that are open, I’m taking better ones with my feet set because I know I’ll make them. So, I’m not overthinking about taking them. … Coach wanted me to take the ones that are open and not think about it because the more you don’t think about it, the more you make them. So, that’s just my goal.”
The unselfish nature of a deeper Warriors offense was on display, and while questions still must be answered — particularly surrounding the starting lineup and bench rotations — it appears Golden State might have the pieces necessary to improve this season.
