Is it convenient to say that coach Steve Nash’s era has begun? There will be some heads nodding in agreement to this because the Nets put up a great performance today. They demolished the Warriors’ 125-99 in the season opener. 

From the beginning, it was clear that Kyrie Irving was in a mood to dominate. He had accumulated 17 points even before the clock could reach the 11th minute in the first quarter. From the other end, there was a silent killer in Kevin Durant, and the match was a tough watch for the Warriors’ fans.

The Golden State Warriors put to shame

After such a painful loss, it was obvious that the critics would come down heavily on the Warriors. On TNT’s post-game analysis, former All-star Charles Barkley claimed, “We didn’t learn nothing tonight except the Warriors suck without Draymond [Green] and Klay [Thompson].”

As insulting as this may sound, what the former Sixers legend said was somewhat true. Ideally, it must have been a KD/Kyrie/LeVert vs Steph/Klay/Draymond show. But instead, it was a 3-on-1 match where Stephen Curry’s double-double could not shake the tower of points constructed by the Nets. 

If this Warriors’ side was to be compared with their own team from 2018 to 19, the present-day team looks like a second-team that is trying hard to register their worth.

What went wrong according to coach Steve Kerr?

Ever since the Warriors hired coach Steve Kerr in 2014, all they had seen were victories and championships. But last year’s 15-win season and this year’s injury demons have left a scar on Kerr’s otherwise spotless coaching. 

In the post-game interview, the legendary coach congratulated KD and Ky. He said, “Both Kevin and Kyrie just kind of had their way in the first half. So the lack of physicality and competition were the most disappointing things.”

Both Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre Jr. struggled to make buckets. Also, the entire team fared poorly from behind the three-point line, scoring at just 30.3% against 42.9% from the Nets.

Also, one cannot just blame the Warriors. The Nets, especially Kyrie Irving, showed an exceptionally great performance with his deep threes and unguardable layups. This was one of the toughest test for the Warriors moving forward into this season.