Ian Clark claims final Warriors roster spot

The Warriors simply did it all last season.

The Warriors begin the defence of their title on Tuesday against New Orleans Pelicans but do so without head coach Steve Kerr as he recovers from back surgery complications, with interim coach Luke Walton leading the team in his stead. Then, it’s off to the Big Easy where the Warriors will face the Pelicans for the second time in five days, except this time New Orleans will play the role of the host.

“It’s a night that these guys will remember the rest of their lives”, Walton said. “Certain plays that we ran to get advantages with getting Anthony out of the post, out of the paint on defense, we joked all about it”. “We’re hopeful that we’ll get our rings and be happy then we’ll be able to transition our mindset to beat the Pelicans”. While everyone hopes for and awaits the return of a healthy Coach Kerr, it has to be reassuring to both the players and the coaching staff to see the train continue to operate at full capacity, even without the traditional conductor at the helm. After the home opener, the Warriors hit the road for their first of 20 sets of back-to-back games this season, which is tied for the most in the league. That style of play, by the way, is what Golden State perfected on its way to a title. “I’ve been around the National Basketball Association long enough, the best team wins the National Basketball Association championship, that’s just the way it is”.

San Antonio added power forwards LaMarcus Aldridge and David West, while the Rockets traded for Ty Lawson from Denver, and the Clippers feature a trio of newcomers in Paul Pierce, Josh Smith and Lance Stephenson. “Now they’re doing that to get by them”, he said.

“It’s going to be a little bit different in that these are people that we did something really special with and together, so you have a closeness there”, Gentry said. But according to the Contra Costa Times, the Warriors are ready if Alvin Gentry tries to apply the same strategy.

“He’s been coming around more and more each day, it’s great having him around, the energy level is awesome, he knows the flawless thing to say when it needs to be said”.

After all the years of futility, Golden State’s players are embracing this newfound position.