Top 5 talking points from Golden State Warriors’ 2021-22 NBA preseason

#3 Damion Lee is ready to contribute at a high level

Damion Lee of the Golden State Warriors in 2019

Damion Lee has earned a solid spot in the Golden State Warriors' rotation. He had a decent preseason but a much better training camp. Head Coach Steve Kerr mentioned Lee's role on the team in the upcoming season, saying,

"Damion (Lee) has had a fantastic camp and has earned some minutes"...Kerr said Lee will "for sure" start the season in the team's rotation.

Damion Lee started in place of Stephen Curry in the preseason game against the LA Lakers. He showed high energy and intensity with instant production while scoring 16 points, nine rebounds, two assists and a steal in 22 minutes.

Damion Lee averaged 9.2 points per game in the preseason on 50/14/90 shooting splits. The 14.3% shooting from beyond the arc is an extremely rare occurrence for Lee and shouldn't be taken seriously. He is one of the best shooters on the team who averaged 39% from downtown last season.

#4 Otto Porter Jr. was a remarkable signing by the Golden State Warriors

Otto Porter Jr. with the Golden State Warriors in a preseason game [Source: San Francisco Chronicle]

Otto Porter Jr. has been lighting it up from deep in the preseason and has left no doubt that he is worth the signing. He shot 55.2% from beyond the arc across the five games on nearly six attempts per game. Porter is one of the biggest reasons why the Golden State Warriors are going to be having incredible shooting in the upcoming season.

He is a career 40% shooter from three-point range and his presence on the floor will give the other players freedom to operate. This will often lead to open looks for Curry, Thompson and Poole while opening up driving lanes as well.

In the preseason game against Denver, there was one possession where two Nuggets players ran to close out Otto Porter Jr. in the corner but in the process, left Stephen Curry wide open.

Otto Porter Jr. is rightfully going to get major minutes in the Warriors rotation.

#5 Stephen Curry is ready for the regular season

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors in the preseason finale

Stephen Curry razzled and dazzled on the court and showed his mid-season form. He had a wonderful offseason and an even better preseason campaign. Curry finished the preseason as the second-highest in the league in points with 24.5 including a 41-point outburst against the Portland Trail Blazers in the finale.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr talked about Curry and his excellent pre-season, saying,

"I mean he's been building up perfectly from before camp started, all of the training over the summer to now. You know, he obviously missed the game in LA the other night... that was part of the plan, he didn't need to play all 5 games."

Coach Kerr added that Curry got amazing work done in the offseason and training camps while suggesting that he is "ready to roll for the regular season." Kerr said,

"But for the last few days, he's got a lot of individual work in, and he's clearly ready to roll for the regular season; so he's in a great place. Guy's a machine; it's just amazing how he looks after himself you know, physically, emotionally."

Stephen Curry was voted 6th in the league for the 2022 MVP prediction in the NBA's 2021 Annual GM Survey, while the Golden State Warriors were given a 7% chance to be second in the Western Conference.

The Golden State Warriors begin their 2021-22 NBA season against the LA Lakers on October 19th, 2021.