Warriors Analysis: Not Time to Panic Despite Another Loss

The Golden State Warriors fell to a 114-103 defeat to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night, but there is no cause for concern ahead of the new NBA season yet.

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Amongst those to struggle as Golden State slipped to 1-2 in the preseason, was guard Klay Thompson who ended the pre-season outing with eight points on 1-of-8 shooting. The 25-year-old consistently played at a high level last season and while he is a player that relies on rhythm in his shooting, there shouldn’t be any panic in the Warriors camp just yet.

Admittedly, the struggles of the rotation as a whole during the Nuggets game was slightly concerning, but on the face of it, pre-season is specifically designed to iron these faults out and help the players get back to the level that they displayed last year.

While the chemistry and collective effort on both ends of the court will come during the next fortnight ahead of the season opener, what is perhaps more concerning is the number of distractions.

Whether it is Thompson, Draymond Green and Stephen Curry addressing their critics or rivals, or Steve Kerr‘s continued rehabilitation after his worrying spinal fluid leak, the Warriors need to remain focused and not let their pre-season derail them in their bid to achieve their new objective.

Following on from the 118-101 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers last week – another example of a game in which Golden State were not up to it defensively and allowed their rivals to shoot a high percentage, the players need to lock in sooner rather than later. Pre-season won’t necessarily bring that reaction out of them, and it may not be as simple as turning the switch on and rediscovering their impressive level of defense from last year when the regular season gets underway.

Depending on personal opinion, the pre-season results will be seen with varying importance. On one hand, a successful build-up can raise morale and spirits and prove that the Warriors are motivated and focused on repeating while sending a message to their rivals.

However, in the bigger picture, it doesn’t particularly mean much as ultimately the real test comes on October 27 when the champions host the New Orleans Pelicans at the Oracle.

Judgment and criticism should arguably be reserved for then, but in the mean time, whether or not Kerr is on the sidelines, he will want to see his players making life much more difficult for their opponents on the defensive end which in turn gives them the spark and foundation to produce and win games with their offense.

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