Well this wasn’t how the season was supposed to start for the Golden State Warriors. The team with sky-high expectations fell flat in its opener, losing by 29 points to the Spurs. The Warriors will aim to turn it around in a matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans in their second game of the season.
Golden State must hit the road for this one, but don’t overreact. This is still the most talented team in the NBA and will be favored in nearly every game this season. The question is how long it will take to successfully merge star Kevin Durant into an offense which played great all of last season.
This war on the floor will go down Friday, October 28, 2016, at 7 p.m. ET at Smoothie King Center. The game will be televised live on ESPN.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Friday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Warriors set an NBA record with a 73-9 record last season and didn’t lose their first home game until April. While it is really unlikely to duplicate that type of regular season success, Golden State is the clear title favorite.
Even after the blowout loss, the Warriors can easily bounce back and get everything rolling against an inferior Pelicans squad.
New Orleans looked to be a team on the rise when it improved from 27 to 34 to 45 wins over a three-year span, but took a step back last season. A healthy Anthony Davis will go a long way in returning the Pelicans back to the playoffs, but his lane-clogging ability won’t be a huge help against Golden State’s jump-shooters.
Golden State should be a sizable favorite to take care of business on the road.
Injury Report
The Pelicans are missing two of their best players. Tyreke Evans has dealt with three knee surgeries in the past nine months and is expected to be out for several weeks.
Jrue Holiday has taken an indefinite leave while caring for his wife, who has a benign brain tumor. Both players can really stress a defense with their play-making, and it’s clear the Pelicans could have issues scoring without those facilitators.
The offense will likely run through Davis in the post with those two sidelined.
Player to Watch
Kevin Durant - The new Warriors addition had a nice showing in his debut game, but it was overshadowed in the 129-100 loss. He finished the night with 27 points and ten rebounds and pulled his weight, but it was those around him who couldn’t hit their shots.
The seven-time All Star will no doubt look to build upon that performance Friday against the Pelicans as the team tries for its first win of the 2016 season. Durant averaged 28.2 points a game and 8.2 rebounds a game last year for Oklahoma City and it will be interesting to see how he fits in with the Warriors.
On paper he is another deadly weapon, but with so many shooters on the floor Golden State will need to figure out its spacing. That could lead to a slow start, so take a close eye on the spread and consider New Orleans if it is getting enough points.
The Warriors will have four of the five most talented players on the court during crunch time, but cohesiveness also matters.
Free NBA ATS Picks
It’s an overreaction league, so Golden State’s slow start will bring out some doubts about their unquestioned status as the league’s best team. That’s silly, as one game shouldn’t change the perception so quickly.
With Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green in the fold, Golden State will be able to overwhelm foes with their raw talent, especially teams like the Pelicans who failed to defend a season ago.
Golden State’s hiccups will be forgotten after this one. The three-balls will go in at a higher pace, and, as long as Davis doesn’t have a monster game, the Warriors should run away with this one by early in the fourth quarter.
NBA Odds: Warriors 119, Pelicans 105
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