The Golden State Warriors delivered on their promise as they brushed aside the Los Angeles Lakers in the opening pre-season game. Following a 125-108 win under the influence of Stephen Curry and Chris Paul, they are off to a winning start. Just hours before they dismantled their opponent, one of their former players talked about the importance of this period.
The ex-teammate perfectly laid down the importance of preseason preparations for the NBA teams. The retired star shared in-depth take of it using his former employer as an example.
What did the former Golden State Warriors player say?
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In the latest episode of NBA Today,?Richard Jefferson discussed the impact of a proper build-up to the season on the NBA sides.?“The pre-season has breadcrumbs,”?he mentioned, highlighting its connection with the regular season results. He added,?“You have to follow the breadcrumbs,”?before deeply diving into the matter.
Using his 2012/13 Warriors team as a reference, the 43-year-old stated, “They went 6-2″?in the pre-season under Mark Jackson. The head coach wanted to change the franchise’s culture by turning winning games into a habit for the players. So, he treated the eight pre-season matches as part of their regular season planning.
“We have got 90 games,”?Mark declared before demanding to?“go out and compete against every single team, every single night”.?It worked like a charm as the Bay Area made it to the second round of the playoffs in that campaign. Looking back on that period, Richard pointed out,?“That was the explosion of the Golden State Warriors”.
He then added the miserable 2021/22 Lakers and the overarching 2022/23 Sacramento Kings into the mix to explain it better. The NBA champion highlighted how the lack of pre-season seriousness cost the LA side and an impeccable pre-season benefited the Kings. Right after his clarification, his former team won their opening game.
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What does it mean for Stephen Curry and Co.?
Jefferson’s words held a certain level of truth in them as the Warriors experienced the effects last season. They failed to dominate their games in the previous preseason. The previous campaign’s defending champions went 3-2 that time around.
What followed was a rollercoaster of a regular season. Failing to win games away from home, the squad struggled to keep up with the rest of the conference. So, they would be looking to change that.
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With a win on the night back on the court, they look determined for a comeback. Can they make it happen following Richard’s path? Let us know in the comments below.