Thanks to injuries, free agency, and retirement, the Golden State Warriors are currently not the group of gangbusters that ran rampant and won three titles in the last five years. They still have Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, though, one of the best offensive and defensive players in the league, respectively.

The new-look Oklahoma City Thunder are also reeling from similar personnel losses and now rely on new faces, including Chris Paul, who’s out to prove he still has gas in his tank.

On the opposite end

After reigning supreme for five seasons, the Warriors are back to not being an elite team – at least for now. The roster is basically Curry, Green, newcomer D’Angelo Russell, and a bunch of G-League-level players.

They were manhandled by the LA Clippers on Friday and got blown out, 141-122. Curry and Russell shot a combined 14-for-36, with the former missing nine of his 11 shots from downtown and turning the ball over eight times. The defense that once smothered opponents easily was left eating dust, as they gave up 111 in three quarters (46 in the third period).

D’Angelo Russell has to raise his game

Curry and Green will be able to perform better moving forward. Steph, in particular, is a very capable scorer that can get points from anywhere in the court. The popular projections for his stats, which peak at averaging over 30 PPG, is still a realistic expectation. Green is an intense defender night in and night out, and he’ll remain a fixture in the All-Defensive Team.

The onus to be an x-factor is on Russell. Though an All-Star last season, he’s still growing into becoming the high-level threat that Curry and other All-Stars are. He had 20 points and eight assists while facing the Clipps’ aggressive defense, but the majority came when the game was already out of reach.

The Thunder took a step back in its second game

The Oklahoma City Thunder were actually decent in Thursday’s opener against the Utah Jazz. For a transitioning team, the 100-95 loss wasn’t that bad, especially when you consider how good the Jazz defense is.

The Thunder, however, came out worse in its second game. They bowed to the Washington Wizards, 97-85, a team that’s projected to be bottom-feeders in the East this season. It’s in front of their home crowd, mind you.

It’s tough to evaluate the roller coaster performances, but it’s not uplifting to see them look tired this early.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a ray of hope

Gilgeous-Alexander, who came over in the Paul George trade, has balled in the two contests. He’s currently scoring 27 per game on 50%-shooting, and has only turned the ball over three times.

This Monday, we should see SGA provide a tough challenge to Curry and the Warriors’ guards.

PREDICTION:

The Warriors win and showcase a much better offense. Their defense may remain questionable in certain moments, though.

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Warriors need MVP-level Steph to succeed this season