Golden State Warriors vs San Antonio Spurs Prediction: A high-scoring affair in the making

The NBA Regular Season is on and as expected, there have been some memorable battles already. But there is no time to just sit on one or two games in a season where each team plays 82 games and the fortunes are overturned at an electric pace. There are teams that have been exposed in the early going and it is shocking when one of the teams is the Golden State Warriors, the defending champions. The Warriors will take on the San Antonio Spurs.

The Warriors come into this game after losing 115:122 to the Sacramento Kings despite a 27 points effort by sharpshooter Stephen Curry. This loss was the eighth of the season and the team has won just five games. Calling this unprecedented is rather an understatement for a team that is the current title holder. The Warriors’ play on the road has especially been alarming as they have lost all seven games away from home which has impeded their early proceedings. The record is also shocking because they have had a healthy roster for the most parts with the core intact.

Steph Curry has been playing like an MVP but it seems like he is the only consistent scorer at this point. Andrew Wiggins has been the second-best scorer and the blame can’t be laid upon him for the slow start. Klay Thompson has been inconsistent but the real problem has been the bench which has regularly been outplayed by the opponents. Surely, the Warriors’ bench is the worst in the league despite having an electric scorer like Jordan Poole, but he himself has been way too up-and-down. The net rating of -9.5(Points Differential when bench players are on the floor) is by far the worst. They look clueless.

The Spurs come into this contest after winning 111:93 against the depleted Milwaukee Bucks as Keldon Johnson inserted 29 points. That win broke a concerning five-game losing streak, but the team still holds a decent six wins and seven losses record. Their record isn’t shocking and for a team that is largely made up of young players, they have showcased a lot of pride. The pride also stems from the fact that they are coached by Greg Popovich whose teams will remain competitive even if they are not Playoffs-ready.

And thanks to Popovich’s ball-sharing system, the Spurs are at the top of assists per game once again and average around 29 a game. Their offensive numbers are impressive and a 38% three-point output is surely more than decent. But then as is often the case with young teams, their defense is porous and they allow around 49.5% from the field, which is among the bottom teams. They have the worst paint defense in the league and there is no doubt that the defensive end’s problems have also stalled the offensive confidence as the oppositions can go on a big run.

• Spurs: OUT: Romeo Langford, Zach Collins, Blake Wesley;
• Warriors: OUT: Andre Iguodala.

• Expected Leading Scorers: Stephen Curry(25+ Points), Keldon Johnson(25+ Points), Devin Vassell(20+ Points);
• Expected Leading Playmakers: Tre Jones(8-11 Assists), Draymond Green(9-12 Assists), Stephen Curry(6-9 Assists);
• Expected Leading Rebounders: Jakob Poeltl(9-13 Rebounds), Draymond Green(8-12 Rebounds), Charles Bassey(7-10 Rebounds).

A back-to-back situation is a nightmare for the struggling Warriors team but coming back home, they will have their confidence back. The Spurs' offense has taken a hit after a hot start but this is a great opportunity to get the gears going as they have a bench that can outperform the abysmal Warriors’ second unit. The Spurs have had two days of rest on top of everything while the Warriors play their second game in 24 hours.

So, will that translate into a Spurs win? Will the tired legs of the Warriors’ already fragile defense mean that the Spurs can pile up a big number of points? This has all the making of a high-scoring game considering these dynamics. I believe the Warriors will play much better than expected and may even nab a win despite the circumstances surrounding them. I see a points range of 237-247 here.