The Golden State Warriors are one of the most confusing teams in the NBA. They currently sit at one game above .500 at the All-Star break. However, this is good news for warriors fans, which seems strange considering they have won four finals since 2015. The Warriors are coming off one of the most prominent dynasties in the history of the NBA. But right now they need to not worry about that, and instead worry about how they are going to give themselves a shot at the postseason.
What hasn't been working?
For starters, Steve Kerr. At least for the first half of the season. Kerr seemed physically incapable of putting the right guys in at the right times. Kerr has always been a veteran heavy coach, not just with his rosters, but with the clutch playing time. Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Lester Quinones, and Gui Santos were playing extremely limited minutes at the beginning of the season. They were being sat in favor of veterans like Klay Thompson, Kevon Looney, or Dario Saric. This was a problem. All those young guys had shown flashes of being very valuable pieces for the Warriors and now we are starting to finally see Kerr make an adjustment.
Also, Draymond not being there. The Draymond suspension was a monumental turning point in the Warrior's season. They were doing just fine, but weren't where they needed to be quite yet. Then Green got suspended and by the time he returned, Golden State had dropped to 12th in the West with a 21-25 record.
And finally, Klay Thompson. This has been a disappointing season for the legend to say the least. He has missed game winners, he has lost games by fouling, he has shot way worse than he ever had in his career. Klay had averaged at least 20 a game from 2014-2023, and this year he is averaging 17.3 on 42% shooting. He is just not himself.
What has been working?
Now its time for the opposites of what I just discussed. Steve Kerr has gotten so much better lately. Now we are seeing Kuminga in the starting lineup every single night. Additionally, Brandin Podziemski is finding himself in the first 5 in most games. We also have gotten to see Quinones bury some big threes, Trayce slam some tough lobs, and Santos grab some big rebounds more consistently now. Kerr has finally figured out that depth is a massive strength on this team. So much so that Klay came off the bench last game.
Now, the Warriors have Dray back. And wow. The team is entirely different. They have won 6 of their last 7, they have gone from a bottom 5 defense to top 10, and their assist numbers have gone through the roof. Draymond Green has transformed this team. He has been totally dominant on the defensive end and he has resumed his role as one of the top facilitators in the game of basketball. He is without a doubt, a Hall of Famer.
Now this last section is a Klay Thompson appreciation paragraph for his last game against the Jazz. Thompson has been slowly coming to terms with his basketball mortality. Sometimes it seemed like no matter how many shots he threw up, he could only ever find the rim. Before the game in Utah, Klay had been removed from the starting lineup for a non health issue for the first time since his rookie season. That was more than a decade ago. And what was his response? He came off the bench and gave Golden State his best performance of the season. Pouring in 35 points in 28 minutes by lacing 7 threes and finishing at the rim consistently. Klay had himself a fantastic day
Conclusion: Now for the Warriors the challenge is consistency. If this team can continue to play with the same effort and energy as they have the last couple of weeks, then they will find themselves in the playoffs with a shot to win yet another ring. The hard part is now out the way. They had one of the most difficult first half schedules in the league, and now they have the easiest remaining strength of schedule. This Warriors team has every opportunity out in front of them. They just have to go take it.
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