Fatigued Warriors Stumble to .500 Road Trip
The Golden State Warriors came into a six-game Eastern road trip looking to prove they were the best team in the league.
At times, they did look the part, beating the likes of Washington, Toronto and Boston. Other times, they struggled, losing to Indiana, Cleveland and Brooklyn. Overall, they finished 3-3, looking fatigued at the end of the trip but still managed to be competitive in almost every game.
Even though they were .500 on the road trip, there was a lot, both positive and negative, to take away from this stretch.
The biggest trend of the road trip and the most concerning was the Warriors’ defense, or lack thereof. For most of the season, the Warriors have been the best defensive team in the league, using their length to contest shots and switch easily. On the road trip, the Warriors allowed their opponents to shoot over 45 percent from the field, a percentage more closely associated with the old Warriors than this year’s version. The Warriors will need to correct this if they want to have any success in the postseason.
Another trend that led to the Warriors’ struggles was the lack of production from their All-Star backcourt, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Against Indiana, Curry did not play due to a foot injury he suffered at home against San Antonio. As a result, the Warriors fell to the Pacers despite a 39-point effort from Thompson.
Feb 22, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers guard Solomon Hill (44) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Against Cleveland, neither of the Splash Brothers played well, combining to shoot 10-of-30 from the field for just 31 points, well below their average of 45 points per game.
In the finale of the trip, Thompson had his worst shooting performance of his career, shooting 3-of-17 from the field and 1-of-9 from three-point range as the Warriors fell to the Nets, 110-108, despite Curry’s heroics. It was Thompson’s first game this season with less than 10 points.
Despite all the negatives on the trip, there were also many positives, most notably the play of Curry. Curry was unbelievable with the exception of the Cleveland game, averaging 27 points per game and shooting over 50 percent from the field and three-point range. He was instrumental in the 26-point comeback against the Boston Celtics on Sunday night, scoring 37 points. He almost brought the Warriors back against the Nets as well when none of his fellow starters had any energy at the end of the road trip.
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Another huge positive was the play of Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli against the Brooklyn Nets. Center play has been a huge problem for the Warriors all season on the offensive end of the floor and had been on the road trip. Bogut was averaging under five points per game in the previous five games, either looking disinterested or passive and Ezeli is clearly still rusty and slowly recovering from his injury from two years ago.
But on Monday night, the center tandem came to play and the Warriors needed their contributions.
Bogut scored a season-high 16 points (all in the first half) and Ezeli nearly had a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing eight rebounds in just 15 minutes. This may be a sign of that the center duo could really help this team, which would make this offense even more dynamic than it already is. If the Warriors could just get half of that production from that combo, they will be in great shape the rest of the season.
So what did we learn about this daunting road trip?
Mar 2, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots for three during the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Brooklyn Nets won 110-108. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
The Warriors don’t play well when they do not defend or have standout games from Curry and Thompson. They do play well when Curry plays like the MVP of this league, they defend, and get contributions from their centers.
Ten of the Warriors’ next 12 games are at Oracle Arena, which will definitely benefit the Warriors and should increase their lead in the Western Conference. The Warriors will enjoy more rest, practice and sharper play at both ends of the floor as they continue to strive to be the best team in the West.
If the Warriors can build on the strengths of the road trip and minimize their struggles, they should be in a great position to achieve their goals.