Warriors lose to Cavaliers with James Wiseman's Pistons on deck later today

Golden State will have to figure out how to overcome size disadvantages if they want to win a title this year.

The Golden State Warriors were overwhelmed in Cleveland, losing to the Cavaliers 115-104 as Donovan Mitchell’s 31 points and the Cavs’ size were too much for the Dubs to overcome.

“It’s a hell of a feeling,” Mitchell said. “I know this is a rivalry, so I know how much this one meant to the fans. We’re trying to ultimately get to the level they’ve been at for a long time, and we put together a full game tonight.”

Golden State revolutionized the game of basketball with a combination of speed, grit, and shooting ability that could run bigger opponents off the floor. We’ve seen behemoths of the game like the Grit-N-Grind Grizzlies or the Steven Adams/Serge Ibaka era Oklahoma City Thunder find themselves gasping in shock and exhaustion as the Warriors pranced around the court with impish freedom.

But there’s definitely sometimes when the Warriors aren’t clicking on all cylinders and find themselves dribbling endlessly through a sea of trees in a desperate attempt to find a window to the basket. Last night was one of those times, as the combined size of Cavaliers’ bigs Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Tristan Thompson (he’s still around!) proved quite the deterrent.

“They always say that styles make fights,” said Stephen Curry, whose 28 points led Golden State. “From OKC to Cleveland, that’s a big difference in the way that they approach the game. And their game plan won.

“That’s a good learning lesson for us in understanding the details of how you need to beat certain teams and making those adjustments. We just didn’t do it.”

The Dubs shot 36% from the field, lost the rebounding battle 54-44, and were obliterated in points in the paint 58-24. Both Mobley and Allen snagged five offensive rebounds apiece.

It’s amazing that this team has got off to a strong 5-2 start in spite of the struggles Andrew Wiggins and Chris Paul have had in terms of putting the ball in the basket.. CP3 is currently shooting 31.8% from the field, 7.7% from beyond the arc. Wiggins is shooting 20% from three-point range, and 57% from the free throw line. If the Dubs get these guys anywhere close to their normal averages, they might not lose a game for the rest of the season.

The Warriors don’t have much time to lick their wounds after this tough loss, as they will be heading to play the Detroit Pistons later today.

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GAME DETAILS

WHO: Golden State Warriors at Detroit Poistons

WHEN: Monday, November 6th, 2023 // 4pm PT

WATCH: NBC Sports Bay Area, Bally Sports Detroit

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The Pistons have a 2-5 record, and have lost four in a row, all to Western Conference opponents. In their last loss former Warrior-turned-Phoenix Sun Kevin Durant lit them up for 41 points.

And for those keeping track of former #2 overall draft pick and member of the 2022 NBA title team James Wiseman’s progress, the Pistons have not found a way to tap into his potential yet. He’s played one game so far, tallying only six minutes of playing time. The rest of the season he’s dealt with repeated DNP’s, rooted to the bench.

Maybe this will be the game that J-Wise finally gets a chance to get some real playing time against a Warriors team that showed last night they can struggle against big athletic teams?