Dec 22, 2020; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets small forward Kevin Durant (7) drives against Golden State Warriors small forward Kelly Oubre Jr. (12) and power forward Eric Paschall (7) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
NBABy Matt Clapp on

While it’s hard to take too much away from one game, Tuesday night’s NBA season opener between the Brooklyn Nets and Golden State Warriors tells us a lot about where these two organizations currently stand. The Nets are all-in for a championship after acquiring Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the summer of 2019, and the Warriors are in retool mode (after Durant left and Klay Thompson suffered an Achilles injury).

Brooklyn blew out Golden State 125-99 on Tuesday night at Barclays Center, and the game got out of hand quickly. The Nets had a double-digit lead under five minutes into the game, and led by as many as 21 points in the first quarter.

Durant didn’t take long to show that he’s healthy and explosive following an Achilles injury that forced him to miss last season. He hadn’t played an NBA game that counted in 561 days, but was outscoring the Warriors for much of the first quarter.

Durant finished with 22 points (7-of-16 from the field, 7-of-7 at the line), five rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 25 minutes.

Irving had 26 points (10-of-16 from the field, 2-of-2 at the line), four assists, four rebounds, and had a game-high plus-minus of +32 in 25 minutes (Durant was next-best at +26).

The Nets had the look of a legitimate title contender, and the Warriors looked like a team that will take a long while to put it all together. Golden State is currently very dependent on Steph Curry to be great on a nightly basis (at least when facing good teams), and his shooting was a bit off on Tuesday night (7-of-21 from the field, 2-of-10 on threes), despite a double-double with 20 points and 10 assists.

There was at least one big positive and reason for Warriors fans to be excited going forward: rookie seven-footer James Wiseman. The No. 2 overall pick was highly impressive in his NBA debut, scoring 19 points with six rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes. Wiseman was 7-of-13 from the field, and even nailed a pick-and-pop three-pointer.

So, that’s very encouraging, and better days are ahead for the Warriors.

But the main takeaway from this game is how dang scary the Nets look, and especially in a very winnable Eastern Conference.

About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor at The Comeback. He attended Colorado State University, wishes he was Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris, and idolizes Larry David. And loves pizza and dogs because obviously.

He can be followed on Twitter at @Matt2Clapp (also @TheBlogfines for Cubs/MLB tweets and @DaBearNecess for Bears/NFL tweets), and can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.

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