Kurtenbach: Warriors losing the benefit of the doubt in title push
Golden State Warriors: Five losses in their last seven games and an
embarrassing collapse to the Mavericks raise serious questions about the
Warriors' championship aspirations.
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 27: Golden State Warriors’
Stephen Curry (30) tumbles to the ground while driving against the
Dallas Mavericks in the first quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center
in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. (Jose Carlos
Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 27: Golden State Warriors’
Stephen Curry (30) tumbles to the ground while driving against the
Dallas Mavericks in the first quarter of their NBA game at Chase Center
in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. (Jose Carlos
Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
By DIETER KURTENBACH | dkurtenbach@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News
Group
PUBLISHED: February 28, 2022 at 1:03 p.m. | UPDATED: March 1, 2022 at
4:30 a.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/02/28/kurtenbach-the-warriors-are-losing-the-benefit-of-the-doubt/

After the worst fourth-quarter collapse in the NBA this season and the
first 20-plus point lead blown by the Warriors in a regular-season game
since 2007, Golden State is heading on the road for a brutal stretch of
games to start off what appears to be a ruthless March.

And while one loss — as terrible and indefensible as it was — should not
carry too much weight amid an 82-game schedule, it’s impossible to not
view this upcoming stretch of four road games in a new light.

The loss to the Mavericks was so big, so memorable for all the wrong
reasons, that I can’t help but think it’ll serve as a pivot point for
the Warriors this season.

Had the Warriors simply held onto their 19-point lead with less than 10
minutes to play last night, we would be talking about a Dubs team that
was 5 games back of the Suns in the Western Conference standings — a
team that looked good coming out of the All-Star break; a team that has
Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, and James Wiseman coming back into the fold.

This column would have a different tone. One of positivity. One that
claimed if the Warriors could keep pushing — if they could put some more
pressure on Phoenix — they could take that No. 1 seed in due time. The
Suns, as expected, are not the same without Chris Paul.

But the Warriors didn’t hold that lead, and they lost a rare chance to
make up a game on the Suns in the process.

The Warriors needed to start this post-All-Star stretch in near-perfect
fashion to contend for that top seed. Does one terrible fourth quarter
eliminate that possibility?

No, but it does make the Warriors’ path to the top much harder.

The Warriors are developing a nasty habit over the last month-plus —
they’re making things more difficult for themselves.

And, worse yet, when it comes to championship aspirations, the Dubs are
losing the benefit of the doubt with their recent play.

With or without Green, with or without Iguodala, the Warriors need to
re-establish themselves as a bonafide title contender in the days to
come. Understanding that Green is crucial to their championship
aspirations, the Warriors are showing flaws that even he cannot
singlehandedly fix. The floor must be raised before Green can return and
push up the roof.

If nothing else, the championship pride this team carries — or at least
we presume they still carry — demands that the Warriors bounce back from
Sunday’s loss, at the very least.

But the Warriors will put in 5,500-plus air miles over the next week,
going from San Francisco to Minnesota for a Tuesday game. From there
it’s on to Dallas (Thursday), Los Angeles (Lakers on Saturday), and
Denver (Monday, that pesky make-up game from the suspect COVID
postponement).

And when the Warriors arrive home from that, they’ll play the Clippers
on Tuesday as part of a two-city, two-time-zone back-to-back.

That’s the kind of scheduling stretch you would prefer to enter with a
cushion in the standings and some built-up goodwill with the fanbase.

The NBA has installed some losses for this team on the calendar.

But the Warriors lost that cushion — if they ever had it — when it came
to the No. 1 seed.

And Sunday’s loss certainly eliminated the goodwill, something I like to
crudely gauge by how many folks are advocating for Steve Kerr’s firing
in my Twitter mentions and email inbox.

The Fire Steve Quotient was off the charts after Sunday’s game. It was
as if the coach made the team go eight-plus minutes without making a
shot. Why didn’t he run the “automatic basket” play against one of the
NBA’s top defenses?

Regardless of internet irrationality, there is reason to be concerned.
Golden State’s five losses in seven games stretch have seen them lose
some serious ground over the Memphis Grizzlies, who entered their Monday
game with the Spurs with a chance to move one game back of Golden State
for the No. 2 seed.

Of course, the Warriors have downplayed seeing at every possible
juncture. There’s a valid reason behind that, as Green explained over
the weekend.

“The goal is to go win one on the road anyway,” the Warriors forward
said. “After going through it so many times, you understand… I’ve won
Game 7s on the road and lost Game 7s at home, so it doesn’t really
matter. If you can get it, great, but I don’t feel like and I don’t feel
like anyone in this organization feels like it’s worth it to exhaust
yourself trying to chase after it.”

But even in a league where the regular season is treated like a
months-long nuisance before the real games start, the standings do,
indeed, matter.

Yes, the Warriors will be a different team whenever Green and Iguodala
return. Yes, their championship pedigree is such that you don’t care
much about where big games are played.

But the path to another NBA Finals should be of concern for the Dubs.

The No. 1 seed is exceptionally valuable. In a conference where three
teams can call themselves true title contenders, the top seed will only
have to face one of those squads in the playoffs. They’ll take on the
victor of the 2-3 matchup (presuming chalk to that point in the bracket)
after what would likely be a tough series. That’s sitting pretty.

The No. 2 seed has serious value, too, even if we ignore home-court
advantage. Would you rather play a team from the play-in tournament — as
the No. 2 seed would — or a true playoff squad like Denver or Dallas?

The Nuggets could get scorers Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. back
before the postseason. They have the NBA’s reigning MVP who could easily
win it again this season.

The Warriors saw what the Mavericks can do on Sunday.

I’d rather play the Lakers, or whatever not-ready-for-primetime squad
eliminates them from the play-in tournament.

The harder the Warriors make life for themselves, the greater the chance
they are tripped up once the postseason comes around. The higher the
likelihood that this resurgent season ends up short of the only
acceptable goal. These are not the juggernaut Warriors of the Kevin
Durant era. Tougher opponents likely mean more games. More games mean
more wear-and-tear on veteran players, and if the Warriors’ veterans
slip, at all, the team will find itself in a bad spot.

The waters ahead of choppy — the March schedule doesn’t relent after
this crazy road trip — but Golden State has to steady the ship if
they’re going to be voyaging into May and June.