In the shortened 72-game NBA season, most teams who have not had COVID interruptions have played at least 18 games. With 18 serving as the first quarter mark, if you had told me before the season the Warriors would start 10-8, I would be pretty happy with those results. However, anyone who has watched the Warriors know that it has been far from pretty in the early goings, making the 10-8 record a little misleading.
Take away the 19-point comeback against the Clippers and the 22-point comeback against the Lakers, and there would be an entirely different conversation about this team right now. After their embarrassing loss to the Suns last night, they fell to 10-9 and just outside of the playoff picture. Sure, it is way too early to be concerned with how the playoff projections are looking. However, it’s concerning when you consider how many teams in the West are struggling in the early goings. Before the season began, Steve Kerr said it would take 20 games to figure out how this team and its pieces would work best. With tonight’s game against the Pistons meeting that timeline, hopefully, we will see more consistency all the way around. Beforehand, let’s see what has been great in the early goings and what’s been shaky for this Warriors team.
Steph is Steph . . . Usually
It is refreshing to see Steph come out and continue to play his game the way he was before the injury. He has done a great job reminding the NBA that he’s still the guy. There has been no shortage of Steph highlights this season, from dropping 62 points to passing Reggie Miller on the all-time three-pointers made list. There were plenty of questions about how he would fare in a full season without his fellow Splash Brother by his side. However, with Wiggins stepping up, Steph is still doing his thing as he sits fifth in the NBA with 27.7 points per game.
Even though he is putting up numbers, there are still times where he looks a little off. He has gone on multi-game shooting slumps while also seeing some very aggressive defensive game plans designed exclusively to neutralize him. Luckily for the Warriors, the role players have stepped up in bad games and have pulled out wins. It is never was to pull out a win when Steph goes 2-16 shooting the ball. However, like the rest of the team, just a little more consistency out of Steph is going to go a long way in maximizing this team’s potential.
Pieces to Build On
Andrew Wiggins is Great
I think it is safe to say that the Warriors won this trade with the Timberwolves. Not only did they remove a player who didn’t fit the system in D’Angelo Russell, but they also finessed Andrew Wiggins AND have a first-round pick that seems primed to be a lottery pick. The talent that we all knew was there with Wiggins has shown up so far. This looks like an entirely different player than we saw in Minnesota, and it has been incredibly fun to watch.
We all knew that Wiggins was a natural scorer. In an offense that requires so much attention on Stephen Curry, Wiggins has done an admirable job filling the Klay Thompson role in this offense. That alone makes it an incredible thought that he is going to fit in beautifully when Thompson returns next year. However, what has been even more fun to watch has been the way he has played defensively. This is a side of Wiggins game that many were very concerned about. However, the Warriors have been among the best teams in the NBA in keeping opponents under a 50% shooting percentage. Wiggins is due a lot of credit regarding how well he has done locking up the opposing team’s best wing scorer. The Dubs have themselves a true building block in Wiggins for years to come, so that smile will never get old.
Second Unit Production
From Eric Paschall, Kent Bazemore, Damion Lee, and now James Wiseman, the second unit has provided a spark at times that has led the way. Whether it is Wiggins or Kelly Oubre going to this unit in the second quarter, a lot have games have been decided with this group on the floor. Whether it has been on the heels of a poor first quarter and they step up to keep the game alive, or they build on a lead to keep the starters on the bench, the minutes have been crucial in the early going.
This has also resulted in more comfort out of Wiseman. He has had his scoring stretches where he can go on a 9-0 run on his own while also struggling with some rookie mistakes. Running with the second unit has provided him with the flexibility to adjust on his own and then take the veteran mentors’ advice to keep improving. While I expect him to rejoin the starting lineup by midseason, the patience with Wiseman will pay off in the long haul.
Resilience is Key
You can have a lot of criticisms about this team right now. One thing you can acknowledge is how resilient this team is. To be down by 19 or 22 to one of the elite teams in the NBA and pull out a win speaks volumes to the team’s mindset. This is where the combination of veteran players and young talent really comes into play. When you have players like Steph and Draymond Green showing guys like Wiggins and Wiseman how it’s done on this team, it displays the culture that has been built in the Bay Area. Even with so many different faces compared to the championship teams, the familiar faces and Steve Kerr keep doing the job to make sure the new players understand the expectations to maintain the winning culture.
The Struggles
What is Up with Kelly Oubre?
When Oubre is playing well, it is a ton of fun to watch. He has the ability to be such an explosive fit on this team on both sides of the ball. However, when it’s going bad for him, it is really tough to watch. Mistakes start, and don’t stop. Missed threes lead to missed layups. It is tough to watch, especially seeing what he can do to help this team win games.
For that reason, it leads to a lot of speculation as to how long Oubre will be around. It seems unlikely at this point that he will be a fit on the roster when Klay is ready to return next year. In that case, will Oubre be here past the trade deadline? There have been rumblings that the Warriors and Pelicans have discussed a trade centered around Oubre. If the reports are starting now, I would imagine that there will be more teams showing interest knowing how dynamic he is capable of being. Surely the Warriors would like to see their investment through to the end and have him be an impact player for a playoff run. However, if the opportunity comes up to bring in a piece that can contribute in the future, the chance to make a move can’t be ruled out.
One More Piece Needed
Despite the inconsistency, this team still has plenty of talent and should still find themselves in the playoffs. Of course, any team is one injury or roster move away from that not being a reality. At the same time, a team like the Warriors could be a move away from elevating their status in the West.
As it stands right now, the clear top four teams in the West are the Lakers, Clippers, Jazz, and Nuggets. Three of those teams have one key piece the Warriors don’t have: a dominant big. The Warriors don’t have the piece on their roster currently to take on a Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert, or Anthony Davis. Wiseman and Looney don’t match up physically with those players. There is plenty of time to make a move, perhaps circle back to old friend JaVale McGee? They need a physical big that’ll make those guys work a little harder. The Warriors have a long way to go and shouldn’t be too upset with where they currently sit record-wise. However, consistency is going to be key for this team to keep competing down the stretch.
