NBA Notes: Warriors, Chris Paul, Clippers, Bucks, Schedule

Warriors

GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. suggested the Warriors are preparing a tribute for Suns star Kevin Durant when Phoenix visits in the season-opener.

“I think the combo of him returning and us opening against a formidable opponent should make the building pretty electric,” Dunleavy told 95.7 The Game. “I think we gotta figure out a way to appropriately honor Kevin. He hasn’t actually played in Chase Center since departing so I know it’s been a while. But anytime great players like that who have given up so much to the franchise come back, you gotta figure out a way to honor them. We’ll do that appropriately.

“But at the same time, it’s opening night. It’s a good (Phoenix) team and we got to get a win.”

Golden State and Phoenix tip off the season on Oct. 24.

• Point guard Chris Paul cited the Warriors’ unselfishness as a reason he’s excited to join the team. “I think the thing I’m most excited about is the fluidness that the team plays with,” he said, via the Warriors website. “I think when you compete against a team for so long and so hard that you have to have some type of appreciation for them, the way that they play, the way that they share the ball, and the selflessness of all the different guys on the team.”

Clippers

• The Clippers will be logging the most road miles of any team in 2023-24, as relayed by Justin Russo of Substack.
• According to analytics site Positive Residual, the Clippers will travel 3,604 miles more than the Nets, the second-most traveled team. “That’s the same difference as Brooklyn (second) to Golden State (tenth),” Russo wrote.
• The Clippers have vowed to take this regular season more seriously, Andrew Grief of the LA Times writes in his breakdown of the schedule (link).

Bucks 

Forward Bobby Portis said he has high hopes in playing for new Bucks coach Adrian Griffin.

“I don’t like to compare the past and the future, but I just hope he lets us be us, and be the player-driven team,” Portis said, via Sam Yip of HoopsHype. “We have a lot of guys on our team that’s done this before, so we kind of know what it takes to get to that next level.”

• What may be some tough patches for the Bucks in 2023-24? Eric Nehm of The Athletic takes a look in his breakdown of the schedule (link).