Warriors working to find a rhythm after a slow start
A week ago, it seemed nothing could stop the Golden State Warriors. Their depth appeared so overwhelming that NBA teams pondered if any weaknesses existed. The Warriors discipline appeared so consistent it suggested they could run on autopilot.
Instead the Warriors have lost two of their first three games, matching their worst three-game start since 2009-10 under Don Nelson, the season they finished 26-56.
It’s absurd to think the Warriors could crash to those depths. They remain the heavy favorite to win their third NBA title in four years. There seems to be no sign of panic.
“If you ask anybody in this locker room, nobody was expecting us to be playing at the level we left last year,” Warriors center Zaza Pachulia said after the 111-101 loss Saturday night in Memphis.
“That’s normal. Maybe it’s even good. That way we work harder and prepare ourselves for April, May and June,” Pachulia added.
The Warriors have coughed up double-digit leads in losses to Houston and Memphis, and nearly squandered their cushion in their win against New Orleans.
After vowing to finish in the top-five in defensive efficiency for the fourth consecutive season, the Warriors have allowed 117.7 points per game. Opponents are shooting 47.1 percent. And in turnovers, despite a training-camp emphasis on passing, the Warriors have made 52 turnovers in three games.
Defending NBA champions are said to be vulnerable to complacency.
NBA coaches, Larry Bird once said, tend to lose their influence on players after three years. That led Warriors coach Steve Kerr to wonder, “I’m in year four, aren’t I? I’m on the clock.”
Turning serious, Kerr said: “I was really lucky coming into this organization at the right time when players were really entering their primes.
“The thing I try to do is keep it light and fresh and let the assistants do the talking and hopefully my voice doesn’t get too old on them too quickly.”
The Warriors have suggested their problems lay elsewhere.
After having reduced practice time due to a compressed preseason schedule and a week-long trip in China, the Warriors have admitted feeling behind in both their conditioning and rhythm.
The Warriors say those issues have contributed toward their struggles to defend without fouling. Kerr called that a “major problem.”
Suns
Guard Eric Bledsoe vented his frustration with the struggling team on social media, tweeting: “I Dont wanna be here.” The Suns dropped to 0-3 Saturday night with a 130-88 loss at the Clippers. Wednesday night at home, they lost, 124-76, to the Trail Blazers, the most one-sided seasonopening loss in NBA history and the most onesided loss in team history.
Elsewhere
The NBA fined Boston guard Kyrie Irving $25,000 for responding to a fan with inappropriate language. Kiki VanDeWeghe, the NBA’s executive vice president of basketball operations, announced the fine Sunday. Irving spoke to a fan Friday night at halftime of Boston’s 102-92 win against Philadelphia night. The NBA also fined Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins $25,000 for language he used toward a fan late Wednesday night in a loss to Memphis.