Golden State has gotten off to a suboptimal start, with glaring issues having already arisen in just three games. The seven-time NBA Champions have lost every contest so far, despite having realistic roads to victory. After losing their season opener soundly to the Lakers, the Warriors watched their lead against Memphis evaporate after conceding a 17-0 run to close out the game. Phoenix posed different problems to the previous opponents, but the result was ultimately the same. While certain areas show promise, like rookie Yaxel Lenderborg's immediate production, Golden State will struggle to string wins this year without fixing the following areas.
Limiting the Production of Option A
Signs of a leaky defense include a failure to contain what you know is coming. Both the Lakers and the Suns have a clear top talent, through whom their respective offenses run. Luka Dončić toyed with the Warriors when Lenderborg wasn’t the primary defender, especially by using his court vision and passing ability. Despite Phoenix having six players in double digits, Devin Booker shouldered the scoring load, scoring an almost unbothered 43 points on 17-for-25 shooting. The ageless phrase, “make someone else beat you,” may often seem like a cliché, but that’s exactly where the Warriors need to start if they want to establish a bothersome defense.
Losing the Tough Interior Battles
Golden State has conceded more points in the paint than it has scored in each contest thus far and has also been out-rebounded in two of three matches. The health issues of seven-footer Kristaps Porziņģis have put this team on the back foot, and unfortunately that may not change for a while. Without the Latvian ‘unicorn,’ the Warriors lack their biggest body and their best shot-blocker, not to mention his offensive impact as an inside-outside scorer. Draymond Green set the defensive tone during Golden State’s dynasty years, and the team thrived despite not starting a traditional center. However, at 36, the future Hall of Famer can’t support his lead-by-example mentality at the same level. This issue may be the hardest for coach Kerr to solve, since he already has limited availability from virtually all of his centers.
A New System Doesn’t Excuse Sloppy Play
Let’s make one thing clear: the turnover numbers don’t pop eyes like they used to. Actually, the 2022 Champions have statistically taken better care of the ball than both Los Angeles and Memphis. Still, if we contextualize Golden State’s errors, their sloppiness really caused their season-opener to slip away in the third quarter. To a certain degree, Kerr’s new implementations, and not much time to get familiar with them, will inevitably lead to miscommunications. Playing with fire is dangerous, and if the turnover continues to mount, the Warriors will lose games because of them.
