Golden State Warriors: 3 under-the-radar storylines to keep an eye on
After losing 6 of their last 10 games, the Golden State Warriors stopped some of the bleeding on Friday night with a 105-103 win over the rebuilding Houston Rockets.
As Stephen Curry added another feather to his cap with his first-ever game-winning buzzer-beater, fans let out a collective sigh of relief: the Warriors partially redeemed themselves after the previous night’s home overtime loss to the ailing Indiana Pacers (who were without their entire starting lineup).
There are some subplots simmering for the Warriors. Here are three under-the-radar storylines to watch as we dig deeper into the second half of the season.
Lately, there just hasn’t been much of the beautiful basketball that Warriors fans have become accustomed to.
The players are feeling it too: Curry even kicked a chair in an effort to jumpstart his poor shooting night (Curry started 1-for-11 before turning up the heat and finishing 6-for-21 with 22 points). Friday night’s win against the 14-32 Rockets inspired a team celebration comparable to a playoff game.
It’s been tough going for the Dubs in 2022.
The team owns a .500 record since the dawn of the new year and the absence of Draymond Green, who is out for at least another two weeks, has been acutely felt on both ends of the floor.
While Klay Thompson’s return after those woeful 941 days was a bright spot this month, the team has had trouble reintegrating him into its offensive flow – Thompson has returned shooting at a blistering pace, averaging more shots per 36 minutes than any other player in the league.
There were always going to be growing pains as Thompson shook off the rust, and the team’s shaky play will certainly be overcome with time, but – simply put – these past weeks have been challenging.
While major narratives like Curry’s “slump,” Thompson’s return, Green’s injury, and rookie Jonathan Kuminga’s development are at the front of fans’ minds, there are some subplots simmering in San Francisco.
Here are three under-the-radar storylines to watch as we dig deeper into the second half of the season.