The Warriors entered the season convinced their revamped roster would allow them to ride the wave many ascribe to Stephen Curry. They were at last equipped with enough shooters to join the 3-point revolution.
And for the first 15 games, it seemed they were right. They were fourth in the league in 3-point attempts (41.4 per game), 3-point makes and 3-point percentage (38.3).
Curry, who for so long relied mostly on Klay Thompson as his deep-shooting sidekick, now had a cavalry at his back.
Golden State’s cavalry is in retreat, its 3-point shooting making a hard downward trend, and it's among several shortcomings to surface over the last few games, including Saturday in Phoenix, where the Warriors took a 113-105 loss to the Suns.
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“We didn't play a bad game,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters at Footprint Center. “Nine turnovers, 28 assists. We had we had some good looks, and the ball didn't go in.
“But (the Suns) were great, 18-for-35 from 3. In the first half, I thought our guys were playing pretty solid defense, rotating, flying around. But they spread you out, and they did a great job of getting behind us a few times, pulling in our rotation guys and then hitting 3s behind the play.”
All true. Golden State’s defense was annihilated in the first half by the Suns’ dizzying ball movement, leading to open 3-pointers on most of their possessions. The Suns were 14-of-21 from distance in the first half before fading to 4-of-14 as the Warriors brought more defensive intensity.
The Warriors’ first-half inability to slow Phoenix was compounded by an offense that too often labored in vain. With 38.1-percent shooting from the field, including 34.8 from beyond the arc, the Warriors mustered only 49 points in the first half. It got slightly better in the second half (44 percent and 35.3 from deep), but the shooting that shined not so long ago is looking dusty.
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Though their first 13 games, the Warriors were second in the NBA in 3-point makes (16.3 per game), fourth in 3-point attempts (41.3) and second in percentage (39.0). Six players were shooting above the 40-percent level required for elite status.
Those numbers have tumbled appreciably over the last six games. Curry during that stretch is shooting 43.8 percent from deep and Andrew Wiggins is at 45.2 percent. Buddy Hield has dipped slightly, shooting 39.5 percent over the last six. They’re holding up well.
It’s the other 3-point shooters that have fallen off a cliff: Draymond Green, not billed as a shooter, is 6-of-27 over the last games. Jonathan Kuminga, whose offseason project was to work on his 3-point shot, is 5-of-25 (20 percent). Those considered “shooters” have cooled considerably. Moses Moody is 3-of-16 (18.8 percent), Brandin Podziemski is 5-of-25 (20 percent) and Lindy Waters is 9-of-31 (29 percent).
With the bench that was tremendous early hitting some nasty bumps, the Warriors suddenly do not have a deep group of shooters.
“It can get difficult at times to find a rhythm, not knowing what to expect from game to game,” Kevon Looney said. “But our guys are doing a good job of staying ready. Everybody knows that they’re going to get in at some point.
“(Kerr is) going to play all of us at some point. Just got to be ready at that time in the game to make a spark and bring energy and make plays.”
Golden State is launching triples at much the same rate, ranking fourth in makes and attempts. But the accuracy has dropped. They are now 10th in percentage (37.6). To put a finer point on it, the Warriors are shooting 34.7 percent from deep (17th in the league) over their last six games. They’re 2-4 over that span, with the losses coming in succession, the latest Saturday in Phoenix.
One problem surfaced early: Curry went the entire field half without a field goal. Nothing inside or beyond the arc. The other problem is that his teammates were not able to pick up the slack.
This could become a serious issue. One of the primary reasons general manager Mike Dunleavy spent the summer chasing shooters is to ease the burden on Curry. It looked good early. It was working splendidly when the Warriors were 12-3.
It has looked perilous recently, which is why they are now 12-7.
“Yeah, I mean he's 36,” Kerr said of Curry. “This is all part of getting older and managing his minutes and his body. Rick and his staff are the best in the world at what they do. We're working together every day on this stuff and so we'll figure it out.”
“Rick” is Rick Celebrini, Golden State’s vice president of health and performance. Celebrini and his crew are hoping to massage Curry as he enters the twilight of his career.
That twilight looks much dimmer with the cavalry behind Steph being so quiet.