Golden State went 18-2 through its first 20 games last season and went 7-1 on the road. They started the season with a 10-10 record and were overshadowed by a 1-9 road loss at Chase Center.
Richard Jefferson on “The Ryen Russillo Podcast” had an interesting analysis of why the Warriors had an unexpectedly sluggish start:
“Draymond [Green] Four years with Izzo and Stephen [Curry] three years, klay [Thompson] There were three years, and Andre Iguodala had two years with Lute Olsen.Their core players were older when they first came into the league, they came into the league with a higher basketball IQ
“You’re looking to Kuminga and Wiseman, the same guys who can work in this read and react system. … The Warriors need more adults.”
Golden State’s championship lineup lost Gary Payton Jr., Otto Porter Jr., Juan Toscano-Anderson and Neiman Jabelica this offseason. They’re both veterans who have honed their skills and most importantly their basketball IQ to operate seamlessly around Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
Losing them doesn’t seem like a big deal since the Warriors have James Wiseman, Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga. However, their expected development has been short-lived, which is a big reason why the Warriors have struggled.
Head coach Steve Kerr is desperate to develop his youngsters without suffering too many failures. That wasn’t the case, because by the time the Golden State Warriors’ bench mob came in, they’d already been blown up. They keep asking Stephen Curry to come up with crazy numbers time and time again to save them Struggle as their youth.
After the Nov. 13 loss to the Sacramento Kings, Kerr told the media that he would have to make some changes to his mix. He also said he could tighten the rotation a bit. A few days later, James Wiseman was sent to the Development League.
Kuminga and Moody stayed, but they were helpless when they were on the court.
Richard Jefferson added that he doesn’t question the talent and skill of the Warriors’ young reserves, but he’s not sure about their development. What’s more, their development may not be on the same timeline as Golden State’s core of Curry, Thompson and Green.
Golden State’s once-proud defense is suffering from a lack of communication and trust
It’s not just the offense that needs the same wavelength. Draymond Greenthe Golden State Warriors’ defensive lynchpin for his team’s Lack of communication and trust in defense.
It will take repetition and basketball IQ to sustain the Warriors’ defense. Moody, Kuminga, and especially Wiseman didn’t do that well when Kerr trusted them to play.
It wasn’t just the youngsters’ fault, but they struggled to keep up with Kerr’s defensive philosophy. Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson are equally guilty, but there’s so much both of them can do offensively that Kerr can pass to them.
After Kerr made major changes to his roster, Golden State started buzzing. They are now 5-2 in their past seven games since their loss to the Kings when they dropped to 5-8.
steph curry Coming off an all-time great year, the Warriors probably don’t want to waste it waiting for their youngsters to develop. There are already trade rumors that could bring more veteran help to Bay Area teams.
