Two Hidden Flaws Keeping the Warriors From Perfection
The Warriors have kicked off their 2025-2026 campaign with a 4-2 record through October, and currently sit at third place in the Western Conference. While they haven’t had a particularly difficult schedule, Golden State has shown up to take care of business when expected. Except for their road games. The 2022 NBA Champions have started a perfect 3-0 at home, and though their victory margins haven’t convinced many, they outplayed their opponents in all three games. This streak is highlighted by their 137-131 overtime victory over the Nuggets, in an early game-of-the-year candidate that saw multiple players score 40+ points.
However, the road hasn’t treated them so nicely, and their two losses have come against weak opponents. Their first defeat against the Trail Blazers resulted in large part due to a poor defensive performance. The Warriors let up 139 points to a team that finished bottom-10 in offensive rating last year, whose scoring leader in Deni Avdija, got traded out of Washington a few seasons ago. In that game, the Blazers exposed two key issues for the “Dubs,” scoring 66 points in the paint, compared to Golden State’s 30 and forcing the Warriors to 25 turnovers. Unfortunately, these statistical deficiencies weren’t just a one-off.
In their second loss, a 120-110 defeat at the Milwaukee Bucks, the team committed the same faults. They once again lost the turnover battle and were outgained 50-44 inside the paint. Typically, that stat wouldn’t catch eyes, considering that the Bucks play a great inside-out game. Milwaukee established the upper hand down low despite missing their all-time scoring leader, the dominant Giannis Antetokounmpo. Golden State’s defensive issues weren’t just limited to the inside game, however, as former Warriors’ rookie guard Ryan Rollins torched them for 32 points. The important question is the level of concern regarding these facts, which lead to bigger trends.
I believe that the team can still polish up the turnovers, though they seem to have become a chronic issue under Coach Kerr in the last few years. The deficit in interior scoring, on the other hand, comes from both the game plan and the personnel. For those reasons, this might be more of a reality than a changeable action. Since I doubt, the Warriors will look to shake up their roster throughout the season, the only way to fix this matter is through coaching. In any event, the team has only played six games, but those two trends will be worth monitoring as Golden State continues to play in close games.
