3 Storylines I'm Focused On in Warriors' Final Preseason Game vs. Blazers

I focus on three key rotation players in their last regular-season tuneup

Brandon Williams and Toumani Camara | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There will be no roster drama as the Godlen State Warriors conclude their preseason slate on Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Steve Kerr said Thursday that Brandon Williams (non-guaranteed), Georges Niang (partially guaranteed) and Charles Bassey (partially guaranteed) will be on the opening night roster despite not having fully guaranteed contracts.

Kerr also implied on Monday that Malevy Leons' two-way roster spot is safe, which probably means there won't be a two-way shakeup before the season.

So all the storylines I'll be focusing on have to do with on-court performance.

Will Lendeborg Have a Better Defensive Performance?

Yaxel Lendeborg has been the Warriors' biggest bright spot this preseason. He's averaged a team-high 15.3 points on 54.8 percent shooting. He's also leading the team in rebounds per game with 8.3.

But his defense has been subpar.

That's to be expected from just about any rookie, but perhaps it's more concerning for a 24-year-old.

In a previous article, I broke down four Austin Reaves drives that resulted in layups, and two of them featured blow-bys that Lendeborg allowed.

In fairness to Lendeborg, he's shown great instincts as an off-ball defensive playmaker. But it won't matter if everyone is giving up dribble penetration.

I'll have my eye on the entire starting lineup's on-ball defense, with Lendeborg being the player in most need of improvement.

Can Williams Strike the Right Balance?

Steve Kerr has committed to playing Brandon Williams as the Warriors' backup point guard. To me, that says Kerr has liked what Williams has brought to the table.

But Williams hasn't quite found the balance between taking care of the ball and attacking.

Against the Lakers, Williams had just one turnover in 15 minutes, but he was just 2-of-8 shooting.

Against the Kings, Williams had 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting, but he had five turnovers.

The Warriors haven't been a great home for point guards like Williams. Dennis Schroder comes to mind as a Williams-like point guard who struggled under Kerr's tutelage.

Everyone agrees that the Dubs need more speed, ball-handling and playmaking, which Williams can provide. It's on Williams to strike the right balance, and it's on Kerr to put Williams in positions to succeed.

Time for More Aggressive Steph

Stephen Curry ramped up to 23 minutes against the Lakers, but he mostly struggled, finishing with 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting, two assists and three turnovers.

I wrote here that it looked like he didn't have burst.

Perhaps the 38-year-old four-time champ was having trouble getting up for a preseason game.

But now it's time to get into attack mode.

It goes without saying that the Warriors need Curry to be a dominant scorer right away this season. It would be wise for him to take advantage of his last tuneup on Friday.