This season's NBA regular season schedule is halfway through, and many teams have been surprising. Typical underrated teams in the West include the Clippers, who were projected to rank 13th in the West before the season but have climbed to fifth at the halfway point. The Rockets were expected to be in the top 8 in the West before the season, but they actually made it to second place. On the other hand, teams like the Pelicans were projected to finish seventh in the West, but are actually second-to-last; the Timberwolves were projected to finish second in the West, but are actually eighth. Simply put, having a star player who can set a floor is rare and hard to come by, such as Harden of the Clippers, who can maximize the value of everyone around him, even bringing out 120% of their potential. Players who leave him often easily reveal their weaknesses, like Paul George. Additionally, youth is a major trend, as the era of James, Durant, and Curry has truly passed.
When American media predicts the playoff standings for this season's Western Conference, they generally do not favor the Suns and Warriors, with even the Kings and Spurs having a higher probability of making the playoffs. The Suns' problems are obvious; they struggle against weak teams, excessively extend Durant and Booker's playing time, deplete their one-on-one abilities, and are helpless against strong teams. From defense to tactical systems, the Suns no longer count as a strong team. Meanwhile, the Warriors, who started the season with a 12-3 record as the top team in the West, have since slid to eleventh in the West with a 9-18 record. Their rapid decline this season has already been recorded in the annals of NBA history. What's more frustrating is that as the team leader, Curry is really being forced to lead the team into rebuilding.
Let's talk about two games. A month ago, the Warriors faced the Grizzlies on the road and suffered a crushing 93-144 defeat, losing by 51 points. As the team leader, Curry played 24 minutes, shooting 0-for-7 and scoring only 2 points with 3 rebounds and 2 turnovers. In the Warriors' most recent game against the defending champion Celtics, they lost 85-125, a 40-point defeat, with Curry playing 27 minutes, shooting 6-for-16, and scoring 18 points with 3 rebounds and 4 assists. A Bay Area team reporter revealed that after these two defeats, Kerr was shifting responsibility, citing the team's lack of personnel (Kuminga and Green couldn't play) and the players' lack of touch (tactics were executed well but shots weren't falling). However, according to an insider, there are already signs of disintegration within the Warriors.
During a December slump, Curry said he hoped everyone would accept some of the coach's arrangements, such as not being able to enter the lineup for some games, and not bringing emotions onto the court. After the crushing defeat to the Celtics, Curry bluntly stated that they had lost their spirit and competitiveness, and each player needed to show their commitment to the Warriors. Setting aside the fact that Curry will soon turn 37 and his dominance is gradually declining, the Warriors have three problems this season. First, Curry's teammates are too weak! Looking at some data, Curry's teammates have only a 1.2% ability to create their own shots, a shooting talent of 14.4%, and a shooting ability of 7.6%. For comparison, when Paul was with the Spurs, his teammates had these figures at 36.6% + 70.8% + 71%!
James' Lakers teammates have these figures at 53.1% + 39.7% + 51.2%; Durant's Suns teammates have these figures at 56.2% + 49.4% + 61.7%. Curry leads the league with a free throw percentage of 93.9%, while the Warriors as a team have a league-worst 71.4% free throw percentage! What level is this? This free throw ability is just slightly better than the Jiangsu team at the bottom of the CBA this season (71.2%). Bay Area media directly states that Curry's teammates were never particularly good to begin with, and they were crucially held back by Kerr. This leads to the second problem, Kerr's tactical approach. With so many rotation players this season, why are the Warriors plagued with injuries? It's simple; because the size doesn't match up, they can only engage in a war of attrition, with everyone being overused.
Including Curry, why is his playing time being cut? Because of his intensive off-ball movement, Curry consumes far more energy per unit of time than any other star player. At the Warriors, a three-guard lineup is standard, pairing Curry with Schroder, who lacks physicality and defense, and even Davis, who stands at 2.06 meters tall, is at a disadvantage against most NBA frontcourt players. Finally, there's the issue of management wanting to develop young players but ending up trading away Poole, with Kerr also limiting Kuminga's time. They promised Curry to maintain the team's competitiveness but are unwilling to give up future assets for reinforcement. This is completely understandable, and I dare say that owner Lacob and General Manager Bob Myers would rather see the Warriors tank to keep their six future first-round picks.
It can only be said that Curry is actually quite pitiable. Among the oldest active superstars in the NBA, James has AD, Harden has Leonard, Westbrook has Jokic, and Durant has Booker. Who does Curry have? Does the health-conscious Wiggins count as the second-in-command? Aside from Curry, no one on the Warriors scores more than an average of 17 points; they are indeed rotten to the core. Whether Kerr steps down or not is not important; the Warriors really should start rebuilding, and what's more heart-wrenching is that the rebuilding process will definitely need Curry, who is the cash cow! Curry has truly gone from leading the team to a championship to leading the team in rebuilding!
