On January 8th, Beijing time, the recently struggling Warriors faced off against the Heat, a team in turmoil, at home. It was expected that the Warriors could win under the leadership of Curry, especially since they were playing back-to-back games against a Heat team without Butler.
However, during the game, although Curry scored 31 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, his teammates were not supportive enough. Excluding Curry's 8 out of 17 shots made, the other Warriors players only managed to make 6 out of 33 three-point attempts, with a meager 18.2% shooting percentage. On the contrary, the Heat, also playing back-to-back, had a balanced effort with six players scoring in double figures, grabbing 48 rebounds, and dishing out 32 assists, easily defeating the Warriors 114-98.
In the previous game where they were badly beaten by the Kings, Curry shot 8 out of 12, made 4 three-pointers, and scored 26 points with 7 rebounds. When the game was no longer in doubt, Curry sat on the sidelines, draped a towel over his head, and propped his face up with his hand, appearing very frustrated. However, in this game, it was another valiant effort, and Curry wandered around the sidelines for a long time during the last timeout before finally sitting down slowly with the towel covering his head.
After this loss, the Warriors have a record of 18 wins and 18 losses, ranking 10th in the Western Conference, just half a game ahead of the Kings. After the game, there was more bad news for the Warriors. Head coach Steve Kerr revealed in an interview, "I believe we are experiencing a crisis of confidence, which you can see and feel. Our morale is low right now. We also lack a competitive spirit. Without this spirit, you have nothing."
As former league champions, Curry, Green, and the entire Warriors team are accustomed to winning. But now, Durant and Thompson have left, and Curry and Green are 35 and 36 years old respectively. They no longer have a stable source of firepower, and head coach Kerr's continued reliance on small lineups has led to significant deficiencies in the Warriors' defense, interior height, and rebounding.
Basketball commentator Xu Jingyu also commented on the Warriors and suggested that they fire head coach Steve Kerr. He wrote: The Warriors are really rotten! Today, Curry has given his all, but unfortunately, Kerr still relies heavily on Wooten. The team is finished, with no hope left. If Kerr is not fired now, the team has no future. Moreover, the games are too ugly, and Kerr has wasted too many people. He wasted Curry's good form, hindered Kuminga's development, and left excellent rebounder Looney idle. It's a pity. Not to mention anything else, if Looney were with the Lakers, the Lakers would have soared. What a lousy coach!
As a coach who once became famous for his small lineup, Kerr indeed prefers space on the court, athleticism, shooting, and passing and cutting combinations. But now, without a roster of talented players to support him, he needs to change and adapt to reality rather than relying on past experiences and perspectives to coach this new Warriors team. Great coaches always innovate, regardless of the lineup, and they can always choose the right rotations, personnel, and tactics to adapt to any era and team. If the Warriors were to fire Kerr, would you support it? Or would firing Kerr truly save this Warriors team that is currently in dire straits?