Coach Steve Kerr Uses Full Bench as GS Warriors Thrash Portland, 139-104
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 24 Oct 2024
As he has said, Golden State Head coach Steve Kerr utilised his full bench in combinations leading to a Warriors 134-109 thrashing of the host Portland Trailblazers in their own home floor at Moda Center.
With the departure of one of the Splash Brothers Klay Thompson now with the Dallas Mavericks and the arrival of key veteran additions Buddy Hield, DeAnthony Melton and Kyle Anderson, Kerr has said he will be shuffling his bench for the desired combinations that would vault the Warriors to a winning campaign this new season.
Shuffled his full bench Kerr did as he fielded thirteen players, all but one scored to power Golden State to a devastating start. Even the lone player who did not put up number on the board- sophomore Brandin Podziemski was good for the team's second best 7 rebounds plus 4 assists which was better than what the Blazers starting forwards could put up.
Kerr started with his usual combo of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins and Tryce Jackson Davis who responded by gaining control of the game at the end of the first half after an even first quarter.
Kerr then proceeded to insert in Hield, Melton and Anderson in combinations with the Warriors holdovers Moses Moody, Podziemski, Kevon Loony, Gary Payton ll and new recruits Gui Santos and Lundy Waters lll. The shock troopers not only sustained the advantage but even extended the Warriors lead to what it was at the final buzzer.
The Blazers continued with its struggle in the post- Damien Lillard era as even the presence of veterans Deandre Ayton and Jerami Grant as well as sophomore Scoot Henderson seemed unable to steady the youthful Portland squad.
Portland coach Chauncey Billups has hoped that new center 7-2 Donovan Clingan, the 7th pick overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, playing alongside returning group of players including Henderson, Ayton, Grant, Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe as well as new tall talented recruits Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija will make the Blazers more competitive at least on defense.
The team showed promise in the pre-season where it's size and length posed problems to its opponents, with huge wins over the Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz.
However the result against the Warriors showed that Billups has much, much more to do to transform the Blazers and lift them up from the near bottom of the West where they won only 16 games last season.
Hield seems to fit easily with the Warriors as he topped in scoring with 22 points despite logging just 15 minutes. Wiggins led the starters with 20 points with Curry contributing 17 points but a team high 9 rebounds. Nine more Warriors put up numbers on the scoreboard including Melton with 10 points.
For Portland, Henderson was the top scorer with 22 points followed by Grant with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Camara and Avdija added 15 points each while Ayton managed a double double 10 points and 11 rebounds. But they were just about the only ones to put up significant numbers in woeful losing effort. Clingan saw action in 13 minutes but had just 2 points and 2 boards.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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