Kevin Durant (Photo : Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The re-loaded Golden State Warriors will kick off their pre-season campaign against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada. The game will feature the debut of former NBA MVP Kevin Durant in Warriors uniform.
Preview:
It's a whole new year of basketball in the NBA, but the teams at the top of the food chain remain the same.
After falling short in their quest to go back-to-back, the Warriors will be parading a spiced up roster featuring their own version of the Four Horsemen: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and newly-signed forward Kevin Durant. Together, Golden State is going to achieve a lot of things this year, making the upcoming season a lot more exciting.
The Raptors are another team that can make a serious buzz in the Eastern Conference. Toronto reached their first ever Conference Finals stints last year, where they pushed LeBron James and the Cavaliers to six games. This year, the Raptors are poised to match last season's success, especially after re-signing DeMar DeRozan to a long-term deal.
Players to Watch:
Warriors: Who else but Kevin Durant. After leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder for greener pasture in the Bay, Durant is going to be the marked man for boos and jeers at any venue outside the Oracle Arena. He's easily become the most hated man in the NBA for that free-agency decision, so I expect him to put up strong numbers even in pre-season games.
Raptors: Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan might be the stars, but the focus of the Canadian crowd will be on newly-acquired Jared Sullinger. The former Ohio State Buckeyes star will replace Luis Scola at the power forward spot and many expect him to perform well under Dwayne Casey because of his ability to stretch the floor.
Prediction:
Expect teams to come up with numerous line-up changes as they look for the perfect unit. Role players, particularly those who are fighting for a roster spot, are expected to play more minutes, while star players could log 20 minutes at maximum.
The Warriors are the favorites for the upcoming NBA season, and there's no reason why they are not in this specific game. I could see Durant, Thompson and Curry switching turns in burning the Raptors defense from the 3-point line. Now, that's an emphatic opener.
