Everybody was prematurely pumped with the Golden State Warriors jumped out to a 6-2 begin. It was cool, certain, however Stephen Curry was on a historic heater as the primary man in historical past to make at the least 4 3-pointers in every of a season’s first 9 video games.
Now we’re getting a take a look at what the Warriors seem like when Curry is not throwing flames, and it ain’t fairly. Actually, it is sort of depressing to observe. The Warriors, who nonetheless have not had a single participant rating greater than 20 factors in a sport apart from Curry, at the moment are 6-5 after getting spanked by the Timberwolves on Sunday. The 116-110 closing rating was on no account indicative of how badly the Wolves outplayed them. It is the Warriors’ third straight loss and fourth in 5 video games.
Curry completed with 38 factors in opposition to Minnesota, which sounds higher than it really was. He was 5-of-13 from 3 — fairly good for anybody else, however subpar for Curry, who’s now 17 for his final 44 from deep. Once more, that is fairly good for anybody else — 38% — nevertheless it’s definitely nothing near scorching, and if Curry is not purple scorching the Warriors are those getting cooked.
On Sunday, Curry floor out his 38 factors Kobe type. He labored his option to the free-throw line a season-high 12 instances, and put near 30 photographs should you rely those on which he was fouled. Towards Detroit, he shot 26 instances. These are excessive shot totals for Curry, however he would not have a selection. It’s outright painful proper now watching anybody else on this workforce attempt to create any sort of offense.
I hate to say the Warriors miss Jordan Poole; however they positively miss that kind of participant — somebody who can really present some juice. Everybody went wild for Chris Paul’s assist-to-turnover ratio, however the man did not make a single basket on Sunday. Paul completed with a mere two factors on free throws. He is now averaging 8.1 factors on 36% taking pictures, together with 16% on three-point makes an attempt. It’s UGLY.
Klay Thompson was the second-leading scorer with 16, and he needed to jack up 16 photographs to even get that. He missed seven of his 10 3s, and is now 11 for his final 40 (27.5%) from deep. After Curry hit a rainbow 3 over Rudy Gobert, it seemed like one determined push is likely to be potential. Thompson had a wide-open layup to get the deficit below double-digits with 5 minutes nonetheless left to play.
This occurred:
That is the best way it has gone for anybody not named Curry. Andrew Wiggins, who realistically needs to be the second scoring choice on this workforce, is within the tank. It bears repeating: Golden State STILL hasn’t had a single participant apart from Curry rating greater than 20 factors in a sport. That’s virtually unfathomable.
On Sunday, the Warriors shot 27% from deep as a workforce, lacking 31 of their 43 makes an attempt. They have been 13-for-38 in opposition to Cleveland, and 11-for-35 in opposition to Denver.
You’ll be able to say it is a make-or-miss league, however that is a Mark Jackson bailout. Outdoors of Curry, the Warriors merely don’t create the constant benefits that result in the sorts of photographs which might be going to permit for exponential scoring/taking pictures spurts. They’re previous and gradual and grinding like hell to do something if Curry is not cooking. Which, for the primary time all 12 months, he is not proper now. And it is exposing plenty of holes on this Warriors workforce that’s way-too reliant on one man not simply to win, however to even be enjoyable to observe anymore.
