Warriors’ defensive issues persist in loss to Pistons
The Dubs have come out as duds in the opening of this five-city road
trip out east.
>DETROIT, MICHIGAN – OCTOBER 30: Jordan Poole #3, Steve Kerr head
coach, and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors react during
the first half of the game against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars
Arena on October 30, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User
expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this
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Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rick Osentoski/Getty Images)
By MADELINE KENNEY | mkenney@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: October 30, 2022 at 5:36 p.m. | UPDATED: October 31, 2022 at
7:53 a.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/10/30/steph-curry-continues-hot-start-to-season-but-warriors-lose-second-straight-road-game/

DETROIT — Draymond Green had a message for the team Sunday night after
the Warriors spoiled a combined 62-point effort by Stephen Curry and
Jordan Poole while falling 128-114 to the Detroit Pistons.

“Every team is coming after us with their best effort,” Curry recalled
Green telling the team.

That’s the price you pay for being the reigning champions.

The Warriors haven’t been able to get the job done in the first two
games of this five-city road trip back east. After falling to the
shorthanded Charlotte Hornets in overtime Saturday, the Warriors lost
their second consecutive game for the first time this season, digging
themselves a hole in the second quarter that was difficult to climb out of.

Golden State’s hot start at the beginning of last season was, in part,
fueled by their lock-down defense. But the Warriors’ entered Sunday
ranked No. 21 in the league for defensive rating.

The Warriors have identified a lack of communication as well as being
too physical and fouling as the main culprits for their defensive
issues. The Warriors committed 24 fouls and allowed 38 free throws
against the Pistons. But these are the growing pains that a team with a
strikingly young bench must bear.

“We got to get more aggressive, be the first one to strike instead of
reacting to what everybody’s doing,” Curry said. “We know what it feels
like but everybody has to meet that intensity from the jump and give
ourselves some momentum on that end of the floor to make teams
uncomfortable.”

Coach Steve Kerr said there doesn’t appear to be a sense of urgency to
fix it and that’s something they have to address.

“It looks like a pickup game out there,” Kerr said Sunday.

“We just got to pick it up,” Poole said. “A couple of guys talked in the
locker room about our urgency and how we need to get it together so
that’s definitely a point of focus.

“It’s something that we’ve kind of been harping on a little bit. But we
need to fix it and we definitely will.”

One day after six Warriors players finished in double figures scoring,
only three players reached 10 or more points. Curry has recorded 30-plus
points in six of the Warriors’ first seven games and led all scorers
Sunday night with 32 points. Poole finished with his 12th career
30-point game, going 10-for-21 from the field. Andrew Wiggins added 10
points.

The Warriors led by 10 points early in the second before the Pistons
closed out the half on a 34-16 run to take an eight-point lead into the
break.

The Pistons came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders, jumping
out to a 17-point lead with an 11-2 run.

But that’s when Poole kicked it up a notch. The 23-year-old guard,
starting for the first time this season in place of a resting Klay
Thompson (injury management), scored 15 straight points for the Warriors
and finished with 18 in the third, the second-most he’s scored in a
quarter over his four-year career.

Poole nailed a 3-pointer to make it 79-66 before getting a steal and
returning right back to the spot of the crime from the possession
before, drilling another 3 to cut the Pistons’ edge to 10.

Golden State got within six points of Detroit, but never closer. The
Pistons held a nine-point lead going into the fourth and held the
advantage through the final buzzer.

“Our offense is killing our defense whether it’s floor balance, whether
the ball doesn’t move and guys get stagnant, the two ends aren’t
connecting,” said Green, who finished with seven points, eight rebounds
and seven assists. “And in order to be a great team those two ends have
to connect. We’ve all seen good offensive teams, great offensive teams
and they don’t play defense and they usually go home. So we got to
connect those two ends of the floor and right now we’re not doing it.”

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Three of the Pistons’ recent first-round draft picks came up big in
their win over the Warriors. Guard Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 overall
pick of last year’s draft, notched his second double-double of the
season, ending with 23 points and 10 rebounds. He also had nine assists.
Isaiah Stewart, picked No. 16 in 2020, had 24 points and 13 rebounds,
and Saddiq Bey, chosen No. 19 in 2020, added 28 points.

Thompson sat out Sunday’s game, the backend of the team’s first
back-to-back of the season, as the Warriors continue to play it safe
with him because of his injury history.

The Warriors (3-4) will look rebound from Sunday’s loss Tuesday when
they play the Heat in Miami. Golden State beat the Heat 123-110 last
week at Chase Center.

“It’s still October, which is crazy, seven games in,” Curry said. “We
would love to have a better record and be feeling a little bit better
about ourselves but you don’t want it to be where you’re too somber
about where we’re at right now.”