Are The Warriors Worthless Without Steph Curry?
The Golden State Warriors are struggling, to say the least.
So far the Warriors are dead last in the Western Conference and have dropped eight of the ten games they've played so far this season. The NBA Odds for the Warriors to win the title have also plummeted, dropping from around 12 to 1 way down to 50 to 1. The Dubs are in trouble and it's not just because Curry is out for the next couple of months.
The season was bound to be a bit of a bummer. Kevin Durant blew his Achilles, likely costing them the 2019 NBA Championship. Then it was confirmed that even after recovery, he would not be coming back. To add salt to the wound, Klay Thompson's torn ACL is likely going to keep him off the hardwood for the entire season.
But that shouldn't spell the end, right? I mean, come on. They still have D'Angelo Russell - he put up 52 against the T-Wolves the other day- and Draymond Green. But Draymond has been out with a finger injury for the last six games, and the results have been ... not so good. So it's hard to tell at this point how much the Warriors will improve with Green back in the lineup.
The Dubs are still scoring well. They are not what they once were, but they are the No. 14 offense in the league. But their offensive rebounding has been lackluster (No. 20), their field goal percentage has fallen to No. 25, and their three-point percentage --the thing the Dubs are known for is now at No. 23.
But these stats are not their main concern. The biggest problem they have is defense ... which is to say, they have none. Basically, the Warriors have turned into the Lakers of the last couple of years. A team that can score the rock, but is on constant power-play with no goalie at the net. Their defensive struggle is the main reason that the Warriors are now ranked on the predictive power-ratings way back at No. 20.
Curry should be back in late January ... will it be enough time for them to make a run at the top eight in the Western Conference and make the postseason? We'll know a little bit more as we see how Draymond Green's presence changes the dynamic.
Dray Green is an elite defender. He's also, kind of the heart and soul of this team. If there is one thing the Dubs have lacked - other than defense- without Curry, Thompson, or Green on the floor, is veteran leadership. Draymond Green coming back into the fold will also help with the Dubs ability to score. It would be the same as having Curry distributing from outside the arc, and Thompson on the wing, but with D'Angelo Russell up top, they can run things similarly. Get Green at the top of the key and let him make the decision as to how to attack from there. He can either dump it off over the heads of the defenders down low, kick it over to to the wing, or either take the ball to the hole and score or take it to the hole to pull defenders in and dish it back out to Russell.
We may see Draymond Green back in the line up on Monday night against the Utah Jazz. After a couple of games with the Dubs lead power forward back in the mix, we should have a better idea of whether or not the Golden State Warriors are worthless without Curry right now. If I had to guess, we'll see some defensive improvement and much better offensive efficiency with Green back on the floor. The Warriors won't be the team to beat, but they should start winning at least half their games instead of losing at a four to one clip.
If they start winning some now, they won't be too far gone by the time Steph comes back to help out. Remember, the Grizzlies and Pelicans have also only won two games - as of Monday afternoon- and the Kings just three. Both the Blazers and Thunder are struggling with just four wins.
Dubs fans, don't lose hope just yet.