What Has Gone Wrong for the Warriors in Their Last Two Games?
The Golden State Warriors have dropped their last two contests in two very different ways. On Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the final score of 124-112 doesn’t accurately depict how the game went. Oklahoma City got ahead early and controlled the tempo and their advantage without sustaining any significant threat. Golden State showed a clear deficit in quality, as have so many other teams, when going up against the defending NBA Champions.
Thursday's contest, however, presented a much more winnable opportunity against the Philadelphia 76ers. Philly had started this season nearly as well as the Thunder, but has cooled off ever since. Despite a valiant effort, coach Steve Kerr’s squad fell short of securing the road win in the last possession. Let’s dive into a more detailed look at how and why Golden State is yet to record a win this week.
The first thing that’s worth mentioning is the sudden injuries that have arisen for the Warriors. As Stephen Curry closes in on his return from a quadriceps knock he suffered about 10 days ago, new issues have come about. When they welcomed OKC a few nights ago, not only did they miss their superstar guard, but they also lost Jimmy Butler. The six-time all-star left that game in the second half, following an aggravation of some knee discomfort, and quickly got ruled out versus the 76ers. During the second quarter of yesterday’s matchup, Golden State dealt with another blow. Their third pillar in Draymond Green exited the game after Dominick Barlow landed on his foot, but the Warrior forward seemed to have avoided the worst.
The culmination of these events forced other players to step up, but no one has answered in a manner that has made a difference. I can’t hold much against Kerr’s team for their first loss, since Oklahoma City is simply in a category of their own. They are on pace to break Golden State’s single-season regular-season win record, and 16 of their 21 wins have come with double digits. However, their game in Philadelphia differed greatly.
I will not underscore Tyrese Maxey’s spectacular campaign thus far, who’s third in the league in scoring with 32.9 points per game and has reached a career high in assists per game with 7.5. However, the 76ers have exploitable weaknesses, and one of those is an over-reliance on Maxey. The Warriors failed to, once again, contain a star guard and minimize his impact. Offensively, coach Kerr’s team didn’t have one player who took over responsibilities to score at will. I believe that these two defeats exposed Golden State’s identity without its main threats, and their lack of quality is ultimately what’s led them to these shortcomings.
