Maybe they really can't contend. I know it's just one game (but it
isn't, really). I know they have to re-integrate Draymond and settle on
a starting five. But this was a blowout from the beginning against the
type of long, athletic team the Warriors can't seem to beat.

They only have two shooters now and they're both inconsistent. Toronto
did to them what the Warriors used to do to other teams: just overwhelm
the opposition. Now I know what it must have seemed like to other teams'
fans.

Sigh.

--Robin

So John Dickison (formerly on 95.7 now at KNBR doing Warriors post game shows) asked this question after last night's game:

"Can the Warriors succeed with only two shooters (Steph and Klay)"?

Dickison's partner (can't remember name off hamd) said no.

The Warriors may have started the trend of using athletic 6'7" to 6'9" guys to win the first title in 2015 and managed to win subsequent titles with a similiar setup. But the athletic wings weren't always great perimeter shooters. Iggy wasn't. Livingston was a mid-range shooter. Otto Porter was solid for the one year.

But the current NBA (pointed out by Tom Tolbert) has shooters at four and maybe five positions. Yet the Warriors have tried to ride with three (Klay, Steph, Wiggins). Now Wiggins is lost and Klay / Steph are inconsistent. Draymond / Kuminga are not great shooters. No one off the bench is going to scare the opposition

That may explain the Warriors struggles (and Curry's recent struggles). Why bother guarding anyone else when you can just double Curry? Make him pass or take a bad shot. No one else except Klay can knock down a shot. Also explains why Klay is struggling at times. If you have more threats, klay gets more open looks.

Saric is a threat but he is not a good defender (perirmete or post). Not sure what the Warriors front office can do. They have a series of one way players (either offense or defense and not both).

DL

On Sunday, January 7, 2024 at 11:31:40 PM UTC-8, Robin Miller wrote:
> Maybe they really can't contend. I know it's just one game (but it
> isn't, really). I know they have to re-integrate Draymond and settle on
> a starting five. But this was a blowout from the beginning against the
> type of long, athletic team the Warriors can't seem to beat.
>
> They only have two shooters now and they're both inconsistent. Toronto
> did to them what the Warriors used to do to other teams: just overwhelm
> the opposition. Now I know what it must have seemed like to other teams'
> fans.
>
> Sigh.
>
> --Robin

To me this was a "this is what happens when Curry has a terrible night"
game. It's as if the whole team realized "well, there's no chance" and
didn't play hard, especially on defense.

Trading for Siacom would help, but that would make them have to maintain
a humongous payroll. They'd probably have to include Chris Paul for
salary ballast, which would result in the Warriors trading one
high-priced player for another one.

-Allen

On 1/7/2024 11:31 PM, Robin Miller wrote:
>
> Maybe they really can't contend. I know it's just one game (but it
> isn't, really). I know they have to re-integrate Draymond and settle on
> a starting five. But this was a blowout from the beginning against the
> type of long, athletic team the Warriors can't seem to beat.
>
> They only have two shooters now and they're both inconsistent. Toronto
> did to them what the Warriors used to do to other teams: just overwhelm
> the opposition. Now I know what it must have seemed like to other teams'
> fans.
>
> Sigh.
>
> --Robin

Allen wrote:
> To me this was a "this is what happens when Curry has a terrible night"
> game. It's as if the whole team realized "well, there's no chance" and
> didn't play hard, especially on defense.
>
> Trading for Siacom would help, but that would make them have to maintain
> a humongous payroll. They'd probably have to include Chris Paul for
> salary ballast, which would result in the Warriors trading one
> high-priced player for another one.
>
> -Allen
>

One of the NBCSBA articles I posted today actually said flat out that
the Warriors have no chance when Curry has a terrible game. It's sad.
They were never a one-man band before.

--Robin

>
> On 1/7/2024 11:31 PM, Robin Miller wrote:
>>
>> Maybe they really can't contend. I know it's just one game (but it
>> isn't, really). I know they have to re-integrate Draymond and settle
>> on a starting five. But this was a blowout from the beginning against
>> the type of long, athletic team the Warriors can't seem to beat.
>>
>> They only have two shooters now and they're both inconsistent. Toronto
>> did to them what the Warriors used to do to other teams: just
>> overwhelm the opposition. Now I know what it must have seemed like to
>> other teams' fans.
>>
>> Sigh.
>>
>> --Robin
>