Preseason Preview: Shorthanded Warriors Visit a Blazers Team Eager to Debut a New Backcourt

Portland's new backcourt gets its first look against a Warriors team missing key players.

GSW @ POR Oct 8, 2026 at 2:00 AM UTC

Portland enters this preseason game with plenty of noise away from the court. The Blazers cut their broadcast team, then hired and fired new play-by-play announcer Braiden Bell within hours, leaving the TV presentation unsettled. Ownership under Dundon is also drawing scrutiny over layoffs, Moda Center renovation talks and relocation threats used as leverage. None of that decides a possession, but the Blazers would surely welcome a clean night of basketball.

The more important factor is who is available for Golden State. Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody are out, and Kristaps Porzingis is questionable. That thins a roster that is largely running it back after missing the playoffs and losing in the Play-In to the Suns. Stephen Curry's two-year, $116M extension keeps him in Golden State through his 20th season. Still, preseason minutes for veterans are limited, and with so many notable names sidelined, the Warriors may lean on depth pieces more than they would like.

Portland has its own gap, with Shaedon Sharpe out. But the debut of the Lillard-Morant backcourt gives the Blazers a clear storyline, and the game should help sort out their roster battles. Rotations will probably be experimental on both sides, which usually means uneven stretches and plenty of lineup shuffling. The home team, with its new guard pairing on display and fewer absences to absorb, has the more stable foundation.

Expect a choppy, competitive game in which Portland's backcourt does just enough late. Prediction: Blazers 111, Warriors 107.

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