Suns-Warriors' clunky season opener highlights intertwined franchise histories with Kevin Durant, Chris Paul
SAN FRANCISCO — It wasn’t hard for Steve Kerr to find the word, it was probably on the tip of everyone’s tongue who watched opening night at Chase Center.
“Clunky.”
Whether it’s old players in new places or new players looking to carve out their own spot in this ever-evolving landscape of the NBA, the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors had the awkwardness in spades Tuesday night in the Suns' 108-104 victory.
If it wasn’t Kevin Durant getting a hero’s welcome after never playing a game at Chase Center, a heartfelt standing ovation upon his introduction, it was the chants of “CP3! CP3!” from the Warriors faithful when Chris Paul was masterfully organizing a second-half run that temporarily put the Warriors in control.
“It was [surreal],” Paul said. “Dario [Šarić] looked at me and started laughing and I couldn’t help but laugh. That was a first.”
The awkwardness wasn’t just in spades, it was the big joker and little joker controlling the board, while the real Joker controls everything west of the Central Time Zone.
That’s who the Suns and Warriors are chasing, the champion Denver Nuggets. As successful as these two respective franchises have been, representing the West in the NBA Finals right before the Nuggets took center stage in June, one is in a spot of transition and another in the midst of an extreme makeover.
If either is to get back through the treacherous waters of the West, it will have figured out the issues that reared its head on opening night. It’s important to note the Warriors were without emotional leader/irritant Draymond Green and the Suns’ Bradley Beal had a back injury that prevented his debut, so one can only imagine what a full strength, high-stakes contest will look like when both teams find their rhythm.
And with the preseason being so short, as training camp literally began three weeks ago to the day, clunky was expected and the unfamiliarity showed.
The race in the West isn’t so much for who can get to the top of the standings, but more so on who can properly identify its identity the quickest, and which team will minimize the potholes along the way.
Like Klay Thompson’s impending free agency, as he and the Warriors were unable to come to terms on a contract extension before the season began. Like Kerr’s contract situation to follow, entering the final year of a deal, where the landscape for coaching contracts have changed since Monty Williams had the Brink’s truck backed up in his driveway to take the Detroit job.
“I prefer not to talk about contracts, I think it’s better that way. We have a great relationship, the front office and Joe [Lacob, Warriors governor],” Kerr said before the game. “I’m not worried about it at all. There’s no deadline. We could do a contract extension in the last day of the season.”
But on the first day of the season, it looked like the Suns could fill the Warriors’ needs, and vice versa. At times, it looked like the Warriors needed a high-level wing with size and shot-making — someone like Kevin Durant.
That’s right, he played for them.
In some instances, it looked like the Suns could use a point guard to settle things down, to get someone like Durant good shots when he was struggling against the Warriors defense that got under his legs.
Someone like Chris Paul.
Oh that’s right, they traded him over the summer in the Beal deal.
Nevermind these two franchises are one Jordan Poole away from being completely intertwined, but that’s where, in a way, it gets fun. Because Devin Booker — on the floor with the generational Stephen Curry and equally special Durant — was easily the best player early and late.
He took the lessons from his time with Paul in the Suns backcourt and engineered the last three possessions — three assists to put the Warriors away, putting the finishing touches on a 32-point, eight-assist, six-rebound evening.
He wasn’t passing to Durant, but to Josh Okogie, Eric Gordon and Jusuf Nurkić — two new teammates and one guy who was left open for a reason.
“Just trust building with the team,” Booker said. “We understand we have the depth, the talent, all the way around. They’re gonna throw some different type of defense at us.
“Those last two passes were supposed to be shots first, but I rose up and made the play. Credit those guys for being in the right spot.”
Durant won’t always shoot 7-for-22, and Curry and Thompson won’t combine to go 7-for-25 from 3 too many times. It’s the first game in 82, but how both squads get to 82 will be telling.
For Curry playing with Paul, idol-turned-rival-turned-teammate, you couldn’t find two more opposite styles in approaching the point guard position. Paul is determined to get out of the chaos and control the game until it calms — an element Kerr said was necessary after the high-turnover output from last season which cost them too many games to count.
Curry, though, thrives in the chaos because he knows you won’t. He’s not trying to settle the storm, he’s trying to do his two-step and shimmy in the rain while you attempt to find your footing.
Curry’s one assist was a beauty, a lefty hook pass to Jonathan Kuminga for a layup during one of those signature runs.
Finding the balance between those two styles will be paramount, while the Suns finding the style that works for them is their mission. The Warriors shot just 23.3% from 3 and gave up a fair share of offensive rebounds to the pesky Suns, while creating some havoc on their end, too (18 offensive rebounds).
The brickfest wasn’t discouraging to Paul, who shot just 4-for-15 while adding nine assists.
“I ain’t really worried about the shooting,” Paul said. “I’ve been on a team that missed 27 straight 3s. You know, saying I don’t think that’s gonna be the case over here.”
He chuckled and knocked on wood on the podium, a nod to when as a member of the Houston Rockets in 2018, he saw his squad miss that many in a Game 7 in the West finals at home against the Warriors.
Not these Warriors, because so much has changed; Paul was hurt that game, nursing a hamstring.
And it was two teams ago for Paul, who had pit stops before fortuitously landing with his former nemesis. Durant was on the other side that day, as he was this day.
It all sounds confusing and intertwining, but rest assured it is true — it’s all clunky.
“It’s the first one and now it’s onto the season,” Booker said.
Onto the season.
