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Golden State Warriors: 4 Mistakes they need to address this off season

By Evan Quarnstrom

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 07: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors reacts against the Toronto Raptors in the second half during Game Four of the 2019 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 07, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 07: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors reacts against the Toronto Raptors in the second half during Game Four of the 2019 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 07, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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RONALD CORTES/AFP/Getty Images
RONALD CORTES/AFP/Getty Images /

Turnovers

Warriors’ fans know how bad the turnover problem was in 2018/19, which was probably the leading cause of premature hair loss in middle-aged Bay Area men.

The Warriors ranked 21st in the league with 14.3 turnovers per game, a number which rose to 14.9 in the playoffs. They stunk.

Aggressive play will inevitably lead to some turnovers, but what was so frustrating about the Warriors’ errors was the carelessness. Too many times we saw simple mental errors result in errant passes or dribbles. Every time I saw a player throw a one-handed pass with their off-hand I wanted to scream. Those passes are so easy to telegraph. I think we learned that on my middle school basketball team.

Remember that back-court violation and moving screen down the stretch that nearly ruined the Warriors’ already improbable comeback in Game 5 of the Finals? Those mistakes can’t happen.

It’s hard to point the finger at any one player. No Golden State player ranked in the top 15 for turnovers per game.

KD led the team with 2.9 per game, followed by Steph with 2.8, Draymond with 2.6, and Boogie Cousins with 2.4. It was truly a turnover mess by committee.

To put things in perspective, the Warriors had the following turnover rankings from 2015-2018:

  • 2014/15: 18th with 14.5 TOs/game

  • 2015/16: 24th with 15.2 TOs/game

  • 2016/17: 22nd with 14.8 TOs/game

  • 2017/18: 26th with 15.4 TOs/game

As you can see, the Warriors actually committed fewer turnovers last year than in the previous four seasons. The Warriors’ fast pace will never let them be atop the rankings in turnovers per game, but consistently being one of the worst teams in this department does not bode well for the Dubs.

Another interesting stat for those that are looking to point the finger at fatigue: The Dubs took the best care of the ball on no days of rest, and got progressively worse with their turnovers with more days of rest between games. Bizarre.

See how the Dubs turnovers lined up with days of rest last year:

  • 0 days of rest: 11.9 TOs/game

  • 1 day of rest: 14.4 TOs/game

  • 2 days of rest: 15.2 TOs/game

  • 3 days of rest: 16.5 TOs/game

It’s well known the Dubs are getting both mentally and physically worn down after having played more games than any other team in basketball over the past five years. The above information tells me it’s more of a mental issue than a fatigue issue.

The Warriors have very high IQ players that are good decision makers in Curry, Iguodala, and Green. They just need to focus and, you know, make good decisions.

So, how can the Warriors address this in the offseason? I think a mental break and a chance to regain focus would do the trick.

With presumably a good chunk of minutes going to our young core next year (Jones, Bell, Evans, McKinnie, the rookies), we may have to deal with some growing pains, and yes, more turnover mediocrity.

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