The Golden State Warriors traveled thousands of miles to Japan to participate in a preseason game against the Washington Wizards.
In many ways, the game was a big deal because it spread awareness about the league to the people of Japan and was highly publicized.
It was also a major moment because it was the first time the Warriors have been on the court together since winning the Finals back in June.
Interesting lineup from Steve Kerr to open second quarter: Steph Curry, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga Draymond Green, James Wiseman. Early season will be a ton of lineup experimentation. Draymond and Steph just connected with Wiseman for a layup/alley oop on back-to-back plays.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) September 30, 2022
Preseason games don’t matter for a team’s official win record, of course, so they are basically like a glorified scrimmage.
But it gives coaches a chance to tweak their lineup, try new things, and get a feel for how they want the rest of the year to look.
That’s what the Warriors were doing in Japan.
Head coach Steve Kerr opened the second quarter with Stephen Curry, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green, and James Wiseman.
That’s a lineup we haven’t seen from the Warriors and it suggests that Golden State could transform a bit in 2022-23.
A Stronger Golden State
Kerr putting Kuminga, Green, and Wiseman on the floor at the same time is a novel concept.
These are bigger guys known for defense.
For years, the Warriors have been seen as a smaller, faster, offensively-minded team.
This is actually the end result of years of planning.
The Warriors have been wanting to emphasize their frontcourt for years and the acquisition of Wiseman and Kuminga is part of that.
We have already seen what this could produce: the game in Japan had a series of lobs and alley-oops that looked smooth.
Is this all part of a new-look Warriors that are about to take the NBA by storm?
NEXT: The Warriors Have A Huge Asset Back On The Floor