Defending champions missing Curry’s touch
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Warriors finally won their series against the tough-as-nails Spurs.
It took a little longer than it should have, and Game 5 provided more stress than was necessary, but with a 99-91 win Tuesday, the Warriors are heading to the next round the playoffs.
Maybe their 3-point shooting will meet them there.
The Warriors have plenty to be proud of following their series win against the Spurs — they showed tenacity and championship-caliber defensive intensity against San Antonio — but their poor 3-point shooting over the final three games of the series is seriously concerning as they head into their second-round matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Warriors went 5-of-27 from behind the arc in Game 5, capping off a three-game stretch to end the series where the Warriors shot 25 percent from 3.
“The game went as I hoped,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “We took care of the ball, we moved the ball, and we defended like crazy.”
The Warriors just couldn’t knock down an outside shot.
They might need some of those to advance past the Pelicans.
Remember a few years ago when the knock on the Warriors was that a jump-shooting team couldn’t win the title? It’s amazing how times change. Now the question concerns whether a team can win a title without the 3-point shot. Because, as Kevin Durant said after Game 4, the 3-pointer is “the name of the game.”
Perhaps the struggles from beyond the arc were a byproduct of the Spurs’ physical defense — the kind that the Warriors won’t see in the next round — but it could also be a byproduct of poor spacing, inconsistent ball movement and wayward offensive principles.
Either way, Durant shooting 25 percent from beyond the arc for an entire series cannot happen again against New Orleans if the Warriors want to advance. Draymond Green being the team’s leading 3-point shooter in a closeout game — while going 2-of-7 from downtown — is simply not good enough. The Warriors shooting 25 percent from behind the arc as a team is not good enough.