After a five-game winning streak, the Warriors recently suffered another two-game losing streak, which left them in 11th place in the West. However, given that the Warriors have lost two games in a row against the Nuggets and the Heat, it is not unacceptable to lose.
The Nuggets, the opponent of the Warriors' Christmas game, have recently won six in a row, lost only one of the last 10 games, and finished second in the West. And despite the absence of Butler, Martin, Lowry and Richardson, the team's brain, Spo, can still keep this Heat team organized. Harkes continued his "best old show" level play, and Herro has also been on a hot streak since his comeback, averaging 26 per game2 points 62 rebounds and 36 assists and shot 495%, 45 three-point shooting2%, and he continued his excellent touch against the Warriors.
Compared with the objective reasons that the opponent's strength should not be underestimated, the Warriors are more worried about when Curry's form will return. In the Christmas game, Curry was in poor form, shooting just 7-of-21 from the field and 3-of-13 from beyond the three-point line. After returning from Christmas, Curry shot 3-of-15 from the field and 2-of-8 from three-point range against the Heat. In the face of the Nuggets, Pope, as an outside gate, has been quite effective in defending Curry this season, and Curry himself may have had the idea of being in a bad state. In the face of the Heat, it is already over the season, and it is difficult for you to think of other reasons for Curry's poor state other than the "big break" rhetoric.
Since December, Curry's form has become inconsistent, and before that, he also had a sluggish run against the Trail Blazers on 2-of-12, 0-of-8 from three-point range, 5-of-17 against the Clippers, and 8-of-24 from the field. Now the Warriors are still very dependent on Curry's play on the offensive end, if Curry can't play well enough, they can still win against a team like the Trail Blazers, but it will be difficult to win against a stronger team.
However, we can believe that Curry's slump is only temporary, and he can soon find his form and continue to lead the Warriors to the playoffs. In addition to Curry, when Wiggins' form returns to normal will also have a direct impact on the Warriors' future standings. Wiggins played well in the Christmas game, but he couldn't continue his hot form against the Heat. Wiggins' performance so far this season is really puzzling, and in the absence of injuries, Wiggins's various statistics have declined significantly compared to last season, knowing that he is only 28 years old and in his playing years, such a decline in statistics is obviously unreasonable. I think at the beginning, Wiggins 4 years 1When the contract was renewed for 0.9 billion, many fans called Wiggins the price of cabbage. However, Wiggins has played at a level so far this season that has struggled to match his contract.
In addition, Thompson's last two times have also not been very good. Compared to his five-game winning streak, Thompson's last two games feel like a return to the early days of the season. However, with lessons learned from his five-game winning streak, his form has reason to bottom out after that**. With BW's sponsorship, the Warriors are gradually getting back on track!
At the same time, we can also see the good side of the Warriors. Pojemski, who was drafted by the Warriors with the No. 19 pick this summer, has been quite solid enough to be in the Warriors' regular rotation. Davis has been getting more minutes lately, and he's proven himself worthy of an inside rotation. As a result, the Warriors' current rotation depth is pretty good. After trading Paul, the Warriors' transition is no longer like last season, where Curry is easy to be taken advantage of by opponents as soon as he gets off the court: so far this season, the Warriors have won 5 per 100 possessions when Paul is on the floor3 points.
Green's suspension is still ongoing, and for now, his suspension is still a "blessing in disguise" for the Warriors. Even though Green's offensive form this season is the best in recent seasons, with the highest points per game since the '17-18 season and a career-high three-point shooting percentage, he is only averaging 28 times, not enough to create enough outside threat to the opponent. Because of this, Green is still a "burden" on the offensive end: when Green is on the floor, the Warriors' offensive efficiency drops to 1113. Lose to your opponent 6 per 100 rounds7 points;And in his absence, the Warriors' offensive efficiency can be increased to 1157. Win over opponents 2 per 100 rounds9 points.
In fact, compared to Green's still dragging the oil bottle on the offensive end, the decline on the defensive end may be the culprit that caused him to be the most obvious on the court. So far this season, Green has been on the court with a Warriors' defensive efficiency of 1180, and the Warriors' defensive efficiency is 112 when not on the floor9。That said, the Warriors' defense was even better when Green wasn't on the floor. When Green can't help the Warriors on the defensive end, his *** becomes even more obvious. And the Warriors' recent stellar record proves that they can get better on both ends of the floor without Green.
Therefore, whether Green wants to or not, after the suspension ends, reducing his role may be more conducive to the Warriors winning. Even as the Warriors' "meritorious veteran", Green's qualifications may allow him to get more playing time after his comeback, but if the Warriors want to impact the playoffs, it is still necessary to minimize Green's playing time. Otherwise, it may be difficult for the Warriors who only play "meritorious basketball", let alone impact the playoffs, to make it to the play-off zone. Even if the Warriors are only ranked 11th in the West, they are only 2 years away from the Mavericks in 6th place in the West5 wins, as long as the rotation is reasonably arranged, it is not without a chance to catch up.
For the Warriors, losing to the Nuggets and Heat will not make the sky fall, as long as Curry and Thompson can find their form as soon as possible, they are still good and will still be the "Warriors" who can beat the league's No. 1 Celtics.