Warriors start preseason with 104-101 loss to Clippers in Hawaii
HONOLULU, HI - OCTOBER 4: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket during the game against the LA Clippers during the 2026 NBA Preseason game on October 4, 2026 at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Jay Metzger/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

‘Twas only the first game of the preseason, but if it was a portent of the season to come for the Golden State Warriors, it wasn’t a particularly hopeful indicator.

Granted, both Steph Curry (10 points) and Draymond Green (two assists, two steals) played a shade under 15 minutes and saw a grand total of zero second-half action. But the depth behind them, while showing flashes of promise, did not inspire confidence.

Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg had a measly four points on 1-of-6 shooting but was able to haul in nine boards. A particular aspect of his game that showed some intrigue was his passing in the pick-and-roll:

Head coach Steve Kerr did, however, emphasize the need for Lendeborg to be more aggressive in terms of scoring and looking for his own offense. Considering the dearth of offensive options on the team, it’s imperative that Lendeborg establish his role on the pecking order immediately on that end of the floor.

It was a sentiment that Curry echoed after the game:

Offseason signing Brandon Williams was reportedly very speedy and shifty — with an incredibly high motor, to boot — during practices. Needless to say, he lived up to his rather rapid billing immediately, while promising to bring the much-needed change of pace in the halfcourt that the Warriors have sorely needed:

All in all, save for a few eye-catching moments, this collective performance was overall nondescript. Few things stood out as legitimately mouthwatering. The advertised “5-out” offense that Kerr promised was obvious in the manner in which it was clearly a work in progress. One of the more intriguing aspects of that revamped approach was directly using the five-man as a bring-up ball handler, flowing into an inverted pick-and-roll with the floor spread, and dishing to the screener for a three, as shown below involving Al Horford as the ball handler and Curry as the screener — leading to Curry’s first preseason three:

There was also this exquisite after-timeout (ATO) set drawn up by Kerr, using Williams’ speed and downhill momentum to create a paint touch and lob opportunity for Gary Payton II:

Not much else can be said of the tilt, with second stringers, third stringers, and camp invitees rounding out the rest of the game in what was, to no one’s absolute surprise, a meaningless result. The process, however, provided some early insight behind what is to come during the regular season.

Needless to say, they will have their work cut out for them if they hope to garner, at the very least, a play-in appearance — let alone, a playoff spot.

The Warriors will next meet the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center on Tuesday, the front end of a preseason back-to-back slate.

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