PHOENIX – Amidst an incredible 50-point performance from Steph Curry last night, the Warriors 130-119 loss against the Suns has left them at a record of 6-9 on the year – a concerning start after winning the NBA Finals last season.
They are now 0-8 on the road so far this season, which is also the longest road losing streak by a defending champion since the ‘98-’99 Bulls – the season after the Last Dance.
In a post-game interview, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr spoke about the Warriors’ recent struggles:
“We’ve got to get everybody on board, on the same page in terms of worrying about winning.” He also added, “Right now, we’re just scattered. It’s a pick-up game out there. There’s no execution at either end. There’s no commitment to the group to get three stops in a row, to execute on offense.
With the entire starting five and 2022 sixth-man of the year candidate, Jordan Poole, returning along with James Wiseman, who missed 73 games last season due to a knee injury, you wouldn’t think that the Warriors would be in the position that they are in at this point, but there have been some glaring issues in the early stages of the season. One of those issues is their defense, which as a team has been one of their strengths in the past, leading them to several NBA Championships.
This year they have allowed 125+ points for the sixth time this season, something they only let happen twice last season. On top of that, the Warriors currently have the seventh-worst defensive rating (113.8) in the league.
In a post-game interview, Kerr took some accountability:
” And it obviously starts with me…I’m the coach of the team. So, I have to figure out a way to get that production, that sort of commitment to the team and to each other and to winning that it’s going to require.”
In addition to their defensive struggles, Warriors legend Klay Thompson has started the season out in a major shooting slump. 15 games into the season he has attempted 168 shots and has scored only 162 points. It may be time to give Poole the start until Klay gets his touch back.
Klay isn’t the only one to blame on the offensive end. The Warriors bench, a young but talented group led by Jordan Poole, has had a pretty rough go at it this season, almost blowing a 24 point lead to the Kings and only scoring 17 of the 119 points in last night’s loss to the Suns.
“It’s a lot different,” Green told Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes following the Warriors’ loss to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night. “For the most part, coming off the bench, we’ve had elder statesmen [in past years]—someone who would come off the bench, slow things down and right the ship.
“It’s different now.”
The young bench also includes Moses Moody, James Wiseman, and Johnathan Kuminga who all have promising upside. Still, they lost some key veterans such as Otto Porter Jr. Gary Payton, and Nemanja Bjelica. Despite bringing in veterans Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green during the offseason, the Warriors’ bench is still missing consistent scoring ability and high-effort defense.
“Losing becomes habit if you don’t fix it,” Curry said. “We’ve avoided that for a very long time, In terms of that creeping into the locker room and losing mentality. I think we’re very aware of who we are and what our potential is, the fact that we can’t stay in this vibe and mode for too long and not really prove that we can be that type of team.
“We’re not panicking in terms of 6-9 or whatever we are. … But the losing does get old very quick.”
Coach Kerr and Steph Curry both made it clear that it’s not time to overreact just 15 games into the season, but this was definitely not the start that the Warriors were hoping for.
