3 things Steph Curry needs to win against top teams with struggling Warriors
Golden State Warriors have to find ways to help leading superstar Steph Curry compete for another NBA title this season.
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Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors have struggled off late and need reinforcements
Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors were once leading the Western Conference this season after a terrific start. Analysts and fans saw a team sharing the ball well and also shooting lights out. But in their last seven games, they game has shown concerns, which came down to today’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have two major facets working for them. One is size inside and a plethora of scoring guards and bench players. Tonight, both sides worked well as all five of their starters ended up in double digits to propel them to a 107-90 win.
Another aspect that went in their favor was their elite perimeter defense. With no one big enough to dominate inside for the Warriors, the away team focused on defending the rest of their half once they took the lead in the first half.
This may not be the exact way Steve Kerr‘s team lost six out of those seven games, but some similarities were evident. If Steph Curry is to seriously challenge for another NBA title, the Warriors need to find solutions for three problems the franchise is facing currently.
1. Another scoring option to help Steph Curry
Steph Curry is still one of the best players in the league at 36 years old. But that age also suggests that the team cannot rely on him to shoulder the burden throughout an 82-game season. Last year, that burden showed its downsides as the team struggled to advance from a play-in spot.
The rest of the team were not good enough to tackle playoff basketball and hence one not-so-great night was enough to dump them out of contention. That game also showed that without another solid scorer alongside Curry, the Golden State Warriors are not that good.
The franchise did try their best this offseason to bring another star to their team, but the high price set by negotiating teams was too much to agree to. However, the situation has not changed for the team as they still look a scorer short.
The front office must be scouring for trade partners to get another player in, but they have to do it quickly if they want to stem this tide and help them continue to stay clear of play-in spots. It may not have to be another superstar, even a player who can contribute 15 points a game every night should be enough.
2. Steve Kerr needs to speak to the bench players
Prior to the season start, the Golden State Warriors were applauded for assembling a solid bench. They were crucial in that initial stretch of games that took them to the top. But in these last few games, that bench has stagnated to the point where questions are being asked about coaching.
Steve Kerr is exceptional at bringing out the best from average players. But the way players such as Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Buddy Hield and others have struggled, that coaching does not seem to be working.
Steve Kerr should look at having individual conversations with them if he is to eke out some better performances from them. A championship winning team is as good as its bench, and right now, the Warriors bench looks bad.
3. Bringing additional inside help
Trayce Jackson-Davis had a decent enough rookie season to give the Warriors optimism for their future. This season, they thrust him into their starting lineup and tasked him with manning the paint. He did that well initially, but slowly he was getting less and less minutes.
In today’s game, he came off the bench for just eleven minutes, which is never enough if his efforts are to have an impact. It seems Steve Kerr has preferred to keep his impact minimal at the moment. The problem is that without him playing for longer stretches, the Golden State Warriors are struggling to keep opponents from scoring inside.
Even if they ramp up Jackson-Davis’ minutes, they still need a solid presence inside. Only then can they go up against the big men-oriented game some title contenders are employing this season. The Warriors have to take these steps if Steph Curry’s last few years in the league are not to be wasted.
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Joseph Varghese
(2265 Articles Published)