SAN FRANCISCO — As the search for the right rotation strategy continues, the Golden State Warriors' coaching staff has once again tweaked their starting lineup. Tres Jackson-Davis and Chris Paul were brought up to the starting line-up, while Kevon Looney and Brandin Podzemski were on the bench.
Steve Kerr explained that one of the reasons for this adjustment was the desire to improve defense and use Paul to unlock Stephen Curry. The Warriors then lost at home to the Dallas Mavericks, giving up 132 points, while Curry extended his recent slump with a 3-of-11 shooting in the first half, with the timing of the adjustment poorly chosen.
The mistakes we made defensively, especially in the first half, were in our turns," Kerr said. "We didn't communicate. ”
Luka Doncic blasted 38 points and 10 assists to take control of the game and lead the Mavericks to a comfortable victory without Kyrie Irving.
Our communication broke down," Cole reiterated. "We started to focus too much on the ball. That's where he takes advantage of us. ”
A few weeks ago, after an overtime loss in Oklahoma City, a particularly frustrated Curry mentioned the arrival of the new year, hoping that his Warriors will find deep problems before 2024 arrives.
Now the New Year has arrived. This is the Warriors' final game of 2023. They entered January with a slump of 15-17 and had lost the same number of home games (eight) as last season.
Three days after Curry's remarks, Draymond Green fouled Yusuf Nurkic and has not been seen since. The team went on a five-game winning streak after Green's indefinite suspension, but the unsustainable trend was evident in the three straight losses that followed. They could have used Green to defend him against Nikola Jokic in Denver, and certainly also in those two games against the Miami Heat and Mavericks, where they needed his energy, defensive talent, and offensive synergy with Curry.
Yes," Kerr said when asked if he missed Green. "But he's not here. So there's no need to dwell too much on that. ”
It was just a small part of a very revealing press conference in which Cole expressed his frustration and accompanied some potential messages. Podemski later revealed that the team had a public discussion about everyone needing to "check your energy" for the benefit of the whole team.
I feel like you feel more on the bench than on the field," Podzemski said. "I think everybody needs to play their part for everyone and for us as a whole. ”
This summer, management reshuffled the squad, in part to improve the chemistry of the corruption. It was considered a success before training camp and during the 6-2 opening, wrapped up in the buzzword "chemistry". Even in the 9-15 downturn that followed, there was no constant bickering or a sense of deep **. So how did Cole characterize their big-picture issues, implying that individual goals were getting in the way of the team's success.
First of all, I like the players in this team," Cole said. "We have a very good team. I think there's a good chemistry between them. But we haven't found the kind of toughness that every team needs, the toughness that every good team needs, where you stick together and just fight for the whole team. We're not there yet, that's a problem. We've got great players and like everybody, but unless this team really connects in a way that's completely committed to winning every game, we're going to be in this situation. So we need to get there. ”
Tenacity is an intangible quality. So will it manifest itself in **?
You can feel it," Cole said. "It's an indescribable intangible. But you can feel if a team is closely connected and competing together. Everyone's energy is right. The hard part of being in the NBA — and that's one of the things I've been thinking about a lot as a coach — is that everybody in the locker room has a different situation, everybody is under a lot of pressure to perform. If you're Stephen Curry, you're under pressure to keep one of the best players in the world. If you're Usman Garuba, you're trying to succeed as a two-way player in this league. I could go on and on. Everyone has a story. I've been thinking about this and I care about everyone. I wish them success. But my main concern is the team's victory. The irony is that when players get lost in the game and the team, the pursuits and the career, things are always the best for each individual player. All great teams do that. They've gotten to that point. We're not there yet. ”
Kerr didn't mention Green, who stayed away from the team until the league ruled he was ready to return. He didn't mention Klay Thompson, who had an inconsistent 1-of-11 shooting against the Mavericks and found himself ejected while trying (perhaps too hard) to regain his lost touch. After a period of redundancy, he shot 8-of-34 during this losing streak.
Kerr didn't mention Jonathan Kuminga, who was unhappy with his fluctuating role in this crucial third season, which was obvious to all. He didn't mention Andrew Wiggins, who was on the bench for the first time in his life. He didn't mention Moses Moody, who was adjusted to 11th man in the game against the Mavericks due to the return of Gary Payton II, and after a game he had a good performance in a brief opportunity with zero minutes on the pitch.
I'm just saying we didn't compete in the tough part of the game," Kerr said when asked directly about personal goals. "There's something intangible, there's a feeling, there's an atmosphere, and when you're fighting, everybody's energy is right. We don't have that right now. ”
Curry emphasized in the offseason that everyone should show up at training camp with the goal of winning. Paul's willingness to come off the bench is seen as a sensitive issue. Paul embraced the arrangement in Game 3 of the season, while Curry and others openly saw it as a sign of the team's growing chemistry and full involvement. Now, after almost 30 games, the tone of the conversation is a little different.
When you lose, you look for reasons why you lost. Right?Curry asked. "For a team like us that is struggling and looking for consistency, you try to find anything that can be corrected or solved. So now I don't think it's personal goals or emotions that get in the way. I think it's when you don't behave well, you start – it's human nature. I'll come in and say I need to play better, I need to shoot better. I know everybody can say they could have done better to help us win, and that's where we are right now. So before we start winning, there's going to be a little bit more nitpicking, trying to figure out a solution to the problem, and until we find it, we're going to be in that situation. ”