The Golden State Warriors have had a nightmarish start to the new season after winning their fourth championship in nine years.
After losing to the Orlando Magic last night, the Dubs have now only won three of their first nine games and are currently on a four game losing streak. For what it’s worth, this is the fifth straight loss for the Warriors in Orlando. The Magic haven’t been one of the best teams in the NBA, winning a combined 43 games the past two seasons, however they haven’t lost to the Warriors at home since Dec. 1, 2017.
So what’s really going on with the Warriors this year?
Well, their new bench is struggling, they can’t seem to stop fouling and their defence is bottom level.
Through nine games this season, the Dubs are allowing opponents to 122.2 points per game, which ranks bottom last in the league. Last year, that number was 105.5 points per game, which ranked 3rd. The team also has a defensive rating of 116.8, the 25th in the NBA. Opponents are going to the free throw line 29.6 times per game, the most in the league because they can’t seem to stop fouling.
In last night’s game, the Orlando Magic went to the line 46 times, compared to 15 for the Warriors. In a game where the Warriors lost by 1 point, the Magic made 23 more points from the free throw line than them.
Coming into the season, the Warriors lost Otto Potter Jr, Damion Lee, Gary Payton II and Juan Toscano-Anderson who were all key contributors on the defensive end off the bench. A drop off was always expected as the newer, younger bench learnt how to play and defend the Warriors way.
The Warriors starting five all finished last night’s game with a positive plus/minus while the bench group all had a negative plus/minus. That has been the story of their season so far.
The Warriors have given up a 30-point quarter in all nine games this season, and last night, they allowed two 30-point quarters and 43 points in the third. They also blew a 16 point lead in the game, tying the Warriors’ third-largest blown lead on the road under Coach Kerr.
“Forty-six free throws for them, 15 for us,” Kerr said about what the Warriors’ biggest struggle was in Orlando. “It’s really hard to win an NBA game by giving up 46 free throws.“
Steph Curry had his best game of the season so far, finishing with 39 points, including 8 threes and 9 assists.
“We’re in a different kind of mode,” Curry told reporters postgame. “We’re obviously losing, that’s four in a row. We’ve been accustomed to learning while winning. And you find ways to dig it out even if you don’t have it or you’re building chemistry or whatever it is.
“We haven’t been in a position like this in a while where you understand you have to play better and you’re losing and it’s just not a good feeling all around.”
The Pelicans, Kings, Cavaliers, and Suns are up next for the defending champs, and it’s not hard to see a world in which the Warriors lose every single one of those games and fall to 3-10.
