Golden State Warriors: 3 Flaws that need to be addressed

Take the pressure off of Stephen Curry

New season, kind of the same story?

The Golden State Warriors’ supporting cast has improved immensely. Additions like Otto Porter, Nemanja Bjelica and Andre Iguodala have helped while names like Juan Toscano-Anderson, Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, Damion Lee and Gary Payton II have simply been better than they were last year.

Still, the problem remains. When Stephen Curry is neutralized, the Warriors have a hard time winning.

Their loss to the Phoenix Suns showcased this. Plagued by lanky defenders and traps all night, Curry shot just 3-of-14 from the 3-point line and was a minus 17 in his 35 minutes on the court. So, who stepped up in Curry’s place?

Poole had a strong game, scoring 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting. Yet, he took a backseat in the fourth quarter, only attempting two shots, one of which was a heavily contested step-back 3-pointer.

The same goes for Andrew Wiggins, who shot 1-for-5 in the second half and ultimately disappeared offensively.

I think a string of plays during the fourth quarter from Draymond Green really summed up the night. First, Green broke to the hoop for a wild circus layup that missed by a mile. Then, on the very next play, he attacked the rim again, coming up empty for the second straight possession.

These types of plays are bone-crushing for a team that is relying on Curry too much at times. It sends a message to the opponent that what they are doing is working — and no one on the Warriors made Phoenix pay on Tuesday.

Of course, Klay Thompson’s return is imminent. We can assume this problem resolves itself once the Splash Brothers are back in action.