Why Are the Warriors Unable to Win Consecutive Games?

Perhaps the title of this article is a little exaggerated, but what’s certainly true is that the Warriors have had an interesting season so far. Given their pre-season expectations from both media and the fans, the tale of Golden State’s season has been odd in some ways, predictable in others. Their aging core of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler has shown signs of physical regression, missing a combined 22 contests through the team’s 38 games. In their absence, the Warriors have struggled to find an identity, and can’t seem to rely on a specific player to step up consistently. Nothing that I’ve mentioned thus far should surprise anyone. 

However, something that shouldn’t make much sense is how bad Golden State has been in crunch time, with or without their ‘Big Three’. They have just an 8-12 record in games with a five-point margin during the last five minutes, or what the NBA otherwise classifies as “clutch-time contests.” Golden State is a veteran group, with an average player age of 29.7 years old, which ranks second-oldest in the league. This roster is composed of both key and role players who’ve made multiple championship-winning runs in the playoffs. Longevity and playoff experience should translate to knowing how to close out wins, but that simply hasn’t happened much this year. 

So, what or who is to blame for the Warriors' undoing of every positive result? Why hasn’t the team eclipsed more than three consecutive wins all year? Certainly, a good amount of weight falls on the players. Yes, it is head coach Steve Kerr’s responsibility to gel this group and figure out how to balance the rotations, but the players still need to execute. As far as the core goes, Curry has performed at an all-star level, having to often carry the scoring load with unreliable support. I believe that Butler and Green can still switch gears and elevate their games, but due to their age, they can’t stay in that zone for long. 

As for the rest of the cast, the issue hasn’t been an inability to play well, but rather to do so in a regular manner. Looking at the 2025-2026 Golden State Warriors is looking at a switchboard that can never have every switch point to the same direction at once. When one switch flicks on, another automatically turns off. Obviously, the players don’t choose to take turns in meeting or exceeding expectations, but the absence of fluid results makes this comparison.

Or maybe, this is just who the Warriors are. Maybe this team has a ceiling that’s lower than what we expected. Maybe last year was their final run, an effort that ran out of gas just after leaving the parking lot. The theories are numerous, but the same picture remains like last season around this time: Golden State swims in mediocrity. What differs is that they won’t have another big mid-season trade to turn their tide around. It’s time for the Warriors to either find a way to swim faster or slowly sink into their flaws.