Golden State Warriors: 3 takeaways from loss to Charlotte Hornets

1. Steph Curry is coming back at just the right time

I cannot stress enough how excited I am to see Stephen Curry back in action with the Golden State Warriors. The team not only needs what he brings offensively, but as the head of this team, they need his presence on the court to help them get back to playing Warriors basketball.

With Curry on the sidelines, it’s honestly been a chore trying to keep up with the Warriors throughout the holiday season. In between all the family meals and the parties and the presents and the underlying effect of “cuffing season,” the Warriors just haven’t had that “it” factor that draws us in and keeps us captivated.

This isn’t just visibly apparent — the numbers support the notion that the Warriors have been pretty sh*tty without Curry.

Next: Analyzing top Dubs players vs. Utah Jazz

Before he went down, the Warriors were averaging 118.2 points, 45.0 rebounds and 30.9 assists, shooting 51.4 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from behind the arc. After he went down, the Warriors began averaging just 106.9 points, 45.0 rebounds and 29.1 assists, shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 35.1 percent from behind the arc.

In addition, the pace took a complete nosedive from 103.72 to 99.79. In layman’s terms, the Warriors resorted to playing slower in Curry’s absence. While this helped boost their defensive numbers, their offense stagnated to Memphis Grizzlies levels, which can, at times, be downright unwatchable.

As much as I love watching competitive games, having a Warriors team capable of running teams out of the gym is the style of play I’ve become accustomed to, and I hope the Warriors get back to playing that way once Curry returns.