LAIE, Hawaii — The Warriors spent their first morning of training camp doing yoga overlooking the Pacific Ocean’s kaleidoscopic blue. They’re staying at the property where the hit 2008 comedy “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” was filmed. Following their first practice, Gary Payton II shot videos on an old-school, handheld camcorder.
After a fairly subdued Media Day at the Chase Center, the vibes are high. On the island of O’ahu, finding peace and serenity isn’t difficult.
But the Warriors aren’t here for mai tais and luaus. They have too much on their plate.
Golden State wants to implement more structure into their offensive system, striking a middle-ground between organized chaos and more set plays to feature younger players. They want to shoot more 3s while figuring out life without Klay Thompson. They want to return to an elite defense and improve in transition on both sides of the ball. They want to fold in three new veterans and hold competitions for, potentially, three spots in the starting lineup — establishing what Steve Kerr calls a “feisty” identity in the process.
“Last year, we spent a lot of the year unable to find certain combinations that fit,” Kerr said after the team’s first practice at BYU Hawaii. “The starting lineup is going to have to be dependent on the first five, but also the second five. I think we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
With how rarely NBA teams, especially the Warriors, practice during the season, training camp and the preseason is a major point in the team’s development. Golden State has five days in Hawaii, so not only is their training camp to-do list long, it must be expedited.
Steph Curry has said repeatedly that he’s open to change to the offensive system. Part of that is due to Thompson’s departure, but also the harsh reality of finishing 10th in the Western Conference last year. The way Golden State has played for years may not maximize this roster’s strengths as much as it had in the past; the personnel’s different.
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“This feels like a new beginning for us in a lot of ways,” Kerr said. “Last year felt like an extension of what we already knew. Part of …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment