Warriors plagued by turnovers, poor shooting in loss to Suns

Two things we learned

1. Jordan Poole doesn’t shy away

The third-year guard earned plenty of respect for his play in big moments late last season, despite the fact the Warriors ultimately missed the playoffs.

Poole is a confident young man, even if that can be a negative at times. On the whole, though, it’s a positive, particularly when big games and big moments arise like these.

He made a statement in the first quarter, knocking down four threes on his way to 16 points. He almost single-handedly kept the Warriors in it till late in the game, finishing with 28 points on 9-15 shooting including 6-12 from deep. If anything, Kerr could be criticized for not getting him involved more later in the game.

2. Suns take advantage of Warriors lack of size

Until James Wiseman returns and becomes a consistent member of Steve Kerr’s rotation, the Warriors do lack size on the interior. That’s undeniable. However, there’s a number of reasons as to why that lack of size isn’t an issue against most teams.

Firstly, a lot of centers don’t actually have the skill to take advantage of their extra size. Secondly, most are incapable of switching and being a competent defender against smaller guards/wings on the perimeter, often forcing their coach to bench them given the defensive liability. Thirdly, even if they can take advantage, there are not necessarily the perimeter threats that prevent potential double teams.

The Suns are one of very few teams that don’t fit into any of those categories. Ayton’s a very skilled big, hard to stop once he’s got deep position in the paint. On the other end he’s by no means lockdown but is capable enough when switched out onto the perimeter. Surrounded by shooting threats in Chris Paul, Booker, Bridges and Jae Crowder, with the likes of Cam Johnson and Landry Shamet off the bench, it’s not easy for the Warriors to commit to double-teaming Ayton down low.

After his initial outburst, the Dubs did throw different zones and schemes to try and counteract Ayton’s presence. He still finished as the Suns leading scorer, scoring 24 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. It again signifies Wiseman’s value, or why the Warriors may think about trading for an established big.

The Warriors travel back home with plenty to think about, charged with the motivation of a return matchup with the Suns at Chase Center on Friday.