What's wrong with the Golden State Warriors?
It has not been a pleasant return to action after the All-Star Break for the Golden State Warriors, who are in the midst of a five game losing streak
The Golden State Warriors have not been so golden over the last couple weeks. They entered the All-Star Break looking like the best team in the league not named the Phoenix Suns, but since then something is adrift in the Bay City.
No Green, no party
Steve Kerr’s side have taken a surprising turn for the worst since their win in the restart after the break over the Portland Trail Blazers. Since then they have lost five straight games, and look like a broken team that is looking for the glue to put back the pieces.
The real problem for the Warriors has been the absence of Draymond Green since the very beginning of the calendar year. The strange thing about the Warriors, is they seemed to be doing okay with out Green for the month and a half they were forced to play without him before the All-Star break.
Without Green there is an undeniable absence of size, strength and attitude in the paint for the Warriors, and when they go against a team that has a presence down low Golden State suffers.
Despite their lack of post presence, they won 12 of the 20 games they played with out their versatile big man and remained within striking distance of the Phoenix Suns for the top spot in the Western Conference up until before the pause.
Where is this bad stretch of form coming from?
If they were doing alright before the break with the same team then why the sudden turn for the worst? One thing we have to remember is that Klay Thompson is still no where near 100%.
Thompson missed a grand total of 941 days with two back-to-back catastrophic injuries. You have to tip your cap to the fact that he even had the will power to return to the hard court and play the game he loves.
Having said that, it will be a long time before he is back to looking like the Klay Thompson that won three titles with the Warriors and scored 60 points in just 29 minutes back in 2015.
The Warriors may be guilty of expecting too much for the recovering Splash Brother too soon. He’s playing over 30 minutes a game and is averaging almost 20 points a night, which are numbers that almost anyone in the league would be content with.
Thompson easing back isn't easy on Warriors
The problem is, with his gradual comeback from injury he still hasn’t been reincorporated in the system. Thompson made his comeback on the ninth of January and has been playing chunks of games at a time. While it’s the best thing for his rehabilitation from injury, it doesn’t help the development of the chemistry in the team.
Many of the the guys on the team have never played with Klay Thompson before early this year. Youngsters like Jordan Poole, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Johnathan Kuminga had never played with the other Splash Brother.
While all three are having great seasons, the return of Klay Thompson gives them new team roles, and these young guns have to learn on the fly how to continue to produce for this side.
Is everything catching up to Curry?
The final factor that is contributing to the slump of the Warriors is simply fatigue. Steph Curry has been the motor boat that kept Golden State afloat with the top of the conference all season long.
We saw it in the Nuggets game on Monday night. Steve Kerr decided to rest Curry and a handful of other players on the first game of a back-to-back series. He did this mind you, in the midst of a losing streak while the alarm bells are starting to sound the the Bay City.
While his numbers might still be impressive all season and even during in their losing streak, averaging 26 points and 7.6 assists a game, having to carry that burden night in and night out certainly takes it’s toll on the 33 year old.
Warriors lost hold on second seed
When you add in the injuries to Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. into the equation it makes Curry and everyone else’s job much more difficult.
The Warriors play the Los Angeles Clippers tonight looking to break their spell of losses. In the midst of their late season slump, they have dropped below the Memphis Grizzlies for the second spot in the West. There are less than 20 games to go in the season, and the Warriors will be hoping to sort out their issues before the postseason.