What we learned from Warriors’ preseason opener against Clippers in Hawaii

HONOLULU, Hawaii – Yaxel Lendeborg buried a 3-pointer off a Steph Curry assist on the Warriors’ first possession, a testament to both the team’s new five-out offense and the promise the rookie possesses.

The capacity crowd at Bankoh Arena on the University of Hawaii’s campus skewed heavily toward favoring the Warriors, who opened their preseason slate with an exhibition against the Clippers.

But instead of watching an avalanche of scoring highlights, they instead got 48 minutes of disjointed play from a Golden State outfit that looked equal parts stale and a work-in-progress in what ended up being a 104-101 Clippers victory.

“The spacing was not great,” coach Steve Kerr said. “We had three or four possessions in the first half where we didn’t fill the corners … got in some tough situations.”

Clippers lottery pick Keaton Wagler hit a step-back midrange shot against the Warriors’ deep reserves to give the Clippers the lead with 13 seconds remaining.

The Warriors had spent five days at training camp on the BYU-Hawaii campus in Laie. Sunday proved they could have used a few more days to get ready.

The Warriors started Curry with Lendeborg, Brandin Podziemski, Draymond Green and Al Horford.

Curry played 13 minutes in the first half and scored 10 points, going through the first half unscathed after enduring a unique offseason program that aimed to strengthen his aging and often aching right knee.

“It feels great,” Curry said after the game, emphasizing the last word.

Lendeborg had four points and grabbed nine rebounds but shot just 1 of 6, while Podziemski made 2 of 10 shots.

Rui Hachimura scored 21 points in 15 first-half minutes for the Clippers, whom he joined in free agency over the summer.

The Warriors trailed 55-43 at halftime. Golden State’s regular rotation players shot just 6 of 20 from behind the arc in the first half and committed 10 turnovers in the first 24 minutes.

Coach Steve Kerr said pregame that he hoped to cut the turnovers down from 15 per game to about 13. The Warriors finished the night with 16 giveaways.

The Warriors travelled back to the Bay Area immediately after the game. They will play host to the Lakers at Chase Center on Tuesday before travelling to Portland on Wednesday for a rare preseason back-to-back set.

Curry’s preseason debut goes smoothly

Despite having the Clippers as the “home team” for the preseason matchup, the hundreds of Steph Curry jerseys and shirts scattered around the arena served as evidence that the majority of the crowd was there to watch one man.

On Monday, Curry mentioned how he regretted going scoreless in the team’s 2024 exhibition in Oahu, and vowed to make a few shots in the sequel.

Playing in only the first half, Curry put on a show in his truncated stint. He made a few 2-pointers, but the arena came alive when he buried each of his triples, cheering as if he had canned a game-winner at the buzzer.

He had two turnovers, both early in the second quarter, as he adjusted to the new playbook. But his shotmaking prowess was in midseason form.

“(The fans gave) amazing energy to play in front of for a preseason game, especially after a beautiful week out here,” Curry said. This is our second time doing it, so a lot of great vibes.”

Like teammates Green and Horford, Curry did not play in the second half.

Lendeborg’s uneven first game

Lendeborg opened his night with a 3-pointer, but rather than being a harbinger of things to come, that ended up being the high point of his night.

Lendeborg was active on the glass and grabbed six boards. But his defense, pinpointed as a point of emphasis during training camp, proved to be a weakness against NBA competition. Lendeborg fouled Hachimura in his first one-on-one defensive possession against the iso maestro.

His 6-foot-9 frame helped him gain position in the paint, but he had little burst with the ball or on shot attempts around the rim. Lendeborg committed three fouls after being out of position.

Green was not too concerned with his protege’s mistakes.

“It takes time for rookies,” Green said. “You’ve just got to know what’s going on. You know, seeing the pictures, knowing personnel, knowing when to switch, when not to switch, making those reads. That stuff comes with time.”

Other notables

— Brandon Williams lived up to his “roadrunner” nickname in his Warriors debut. Though the possessions did not result in points, he drew oohs and ahhs from the crowd when he used a slick hesitation dribble to create an opening for an over-the-head pass. Williams played 16 minutes and scored 11 points, making every basket in the paint after blowing by his defender.

— Charles Bassey received the first minutes off the bench at center. He had two powerful dunks around the rim en route to 12 points, and grabbed eight rebounds. After Bassey, Graham Ike and Malevy Leons played the five in the fourth quarter.

— Alex Toohey, the team’s second-round pick in 2025, played his first preseason minutes for the Warriors. He missed all of last preseason with a worn-down knee that required season-ending cartilage repair surgery. Every player on the Warriors roster played minutes in Hawaii. Dalen Terry and Miles Kelly, future Santa Cruz Warriors, each checked in during the fourth quarter.

— Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody each watched the game from the sidelines. Butler is recovering from an ACL tear, while Moody is mending a torn patellar tendon.