The Golden State Warriors had high hopes for their seven-game home stand as a chance to establish a winning rhythm and solidify their status as a formidable team. However, after two games, they have faced disappointing defeats, the most recent being a 132-122 loss to the Dallas Mavericks during Saturday’s NBA action.
This setback followed a loss to a Miami Heat team that was missing key players like Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, and Caleb Martin. Despite strong team chemistry off the court, a contrast to last season’s tension-filled locker room, the Warriors are struggling to translate this camaraderie into on-court success. With a 15-17 record and ranking 11th in the Western Conference, there’s a clear disconnect.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr expressed concern over the team’s lack of cohesion and determination. He emphasized the need for unity and a singular focus on winning. To address these issues, the Warriors have been altering their lineups and rotations. Kerr’s latest change against the Mavericks, replacing Kevon Looney and Brandin Podziemski with Trayce Jackson-Davis and Chris Paul, aimed to improve defense, a notable area of weakness in recent games.
“We haven’t found that grit that every good team needs, where you pull together, and you just play for the group,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “We are not there yet. And that’s a problem. We have great guys, but until every team connects in a way that is solely dedicated to winning each game, then we are going to be stuck in this place.”
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The Warriors have been missing Draymond Green, who is on an indefinite suspension, contributing to their struggles. Despite this, there was a time when the team showed an offensive spark with their previous lineup.
However, the new lineup adjustments failed to deliver against the Mavericks. While reflecting on the team’s identity crisis, Stephen Curry shared his frustration about the team’s inability to find a consistent winning formula. This problem was highlighted as the Warriors allowed the Mavericks to shoot 56% from the floor, with Luka Doncic scoring 39 points.
“We’ve experimented a lot, some for forced reasons, some for us searching for an identity,” Curry said. “We haven’t found it collectively. It’s frustrating, for sure, 32 games in. Any team that is a seriously competitive contender, a good team, usually can answer that question. We have to get to that point before it’s too late.”
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Kerr tried various strategies to contain Doncic, but his efforts were in vain as the Mavericks’ star delivered a brilliant performance. The Warriors’ defense faltered, particularly in communication and consistency.
“We tried to mix it up on him,” Kerr said. “We single-covered him, we switched, we hit him. We tried a lot of different things, but he is a brilliant player and had a phenomenal game. … We weren’t communicating. We had some good stretches when we were getting stops … and then our communication broke down.”
The lineup change also aimed to create more scoring opportunities for Curry, especially in Green’s absence. Curry ended the game with 25 points, while Paul contributed 24 points and six assists. Despite these individual efforts, the Warriors are yet to find a reliable five-player combination that can consistently perform well.
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Chris Paul emphasized the importance of finding ways to win and bringing together the team’s collective grit and selflessness. As the Warriors continue to search for the right formula, the need for cohesive and effective play becomes increasingly urgent.
“It’s tough,” Paul said. “It’s a little bit new to me. But it’s all about winning. Whatever we’ve got to do to figure out how to win, that’s what I’ve been about my entire career. I know these guys are the same. … We’ve got a lot of selfless guys on our team. We’ve got a lot of guys with grit. Now we’ve got to figure out how to put it together for 48 minutes.”
