After adding Kevin Durant in the offseason, expectations of greatness were immediately placed on the Warriors. Yet in their first official game together, they looked anything but great, losing by nearly 30 points at home to the San Antonio Spurs. And for the first time in the Steve Kerr era, Golden State is below .500.
It was the kind of loss that should make Golden State reassess its confidence level, but this was just one game and the Warriors have 81 left to figure out what works best for their team. Yet for Durant, the loss was humbling and at the same time embarrassing -- a sentiment also shared by Kerr.
Kevin Durant on the loss: "It's a slap in the face. Woke us up a bit.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) October 26, 2016
Warriors coach Steve Kerr: "I think our guys were embarrassed (by the performance) tonight. I know I was."
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) October 26, 2016
Durant actually played well in his Warriors debut, finishing with 27 points and 10 rebounds. He may have been one of the lone brights spots for Golden State though as its defense and overall effort at times were abysmal. Durant and Kerr are right about this loss being embarrassing, especially since they lost by 29 points on such a big national stage.
There's no doubt the Warriors have the talent and coaching to get back on track rather quickly, and it wouldn't be surprising if this loss only motivates them moving forward.