This season, the Golden State Warriors, after a brilliant start to the season, have ultimately returned to mediocrity. According to the NBA's latest published offensive and defensive efficiency over the past 10 games, their defense is average, but problems on the offensive end are exposed, dropping them unexpectedly to the third tier, where they can only find relevance among teams like the Wizards, Hornets, and Bulls that are tanking for the draft. The main reasons for this situation are threefold.
Firstly, after the NBA mid-season tournament, more teams have studied the Warriors' tactics, especially the close guarding of backup shooter Buddy Hield, which has become even tighter. This substitute who was once considered on par with Klay Thompson has been exposed in recent games, averaging a dismal 20.7% three-point shooting percentage, which is almost unbearable to watch. Without a reliable shooter to provide consistent firepower, the Warriors are unable to tear apart the opponent's defensive formation or create more space, directly limiting the performance of Green, Wiggins, and Kuminga within the paint, and concentrating the team's offensive efforts on individual plays, such low-efficiency operations constrain the team's scoring.
Secondly, head coach Steve Kerr does not have a set rotation. Although Tom Thibodeau has a poor reputation in the industry for often using an eight-man rotation, his professionalism lies in maintaining a stable number of players, with other role players simply filling in numbers to help the New York Knicks meet basic team requirements. However, the coaching philosophies of the two coaches differ, as Kerr is more willing to experiment, maintaining an average of 12 players in the rotation this season, which proves the depth of the team's roster but seems to have little practical use. With the increase in injured players within the team, Kerr has not compromised but instead adopted a "force ducks to climb shelves" approach, constantly activating third-string players to play.
In the previous victory against the Philadelphia 76ers, Kerr heavily utilized Santos, who earns $1.9 million per year and averages only 1.8 points per game. This relatively unknown forward had his moment to shine, playing 25 minutes and contributing 13 points, including three three-pointers, becoming a key player in the team's victory. However, most of the credit goes to Kerr's ability to recognize and utilize talent. In today's loss to the Indiana Pacers, Kerr continued to push his magic to the extreme, once again playing a surprising "card," center Quentin Post, who stands at 213 cm. As the 52nd pick in the 24th draft, he has only played three games for the team this season and has no experience, yet the coaching staff entrusted him with a significant responsibility. Such a lineup arrangement is truly perplexing.
Worth noting is that this Dutch rookie did not shy away from the challenge, playing the entire game for 7 minutes, making 1 out of 2 three-point attempts for 6 points, successfully leveraging his strengths. Kerr praised his protégé at the first opportunity, but he also used the topic of big men shooting three-pointers to seek advice from general manager Bob Myers. If the team had a big man capable of creating space, they could instantly open up the court through pick-and-pop tactics. However, this suggestion is not limited to center players; Otto Porter and Belic also possess this attribute. These remarks subtly put pressure on Myers to strengthen the frontcourt with players who have shooting abilities.
However, Myers' external recruitment that benefits the system is the third reason for the team's losses. Although Schroder carries the title of World Cup MVP, his backcourt partnership with Curry lacks the aggression of Melton, and the management is still trying to adjust without changing the losing streak. Perhaps Kerr's remarks will give the team a tangible goal for future strengthening rather than pursuing a star that appears to fit without much thought. It must be said that since taking office, every move by Myers has not helped the team achieve a qualitative change.
