The Golden State Warriors are the hottest team in the NBA, but they need to address key weaknesses before they make a run at the postseason.
On March 13, the Golden State Warriors cruised past the Sacramento Kings and Stephen Curry became the first player in NBA history to make 4,000 career 3-pointers. James Harden is second on the list, but he is more than 800 buckets behind Curry, so it stands to reason that the record is virtually unbreakable.
Curry and the Warriors, after trading for Jimmy Butler, have gone 13-2 and look energized and refreshed. At one point, they were tenth in the Western Conference and in danger of missing even the Play-In Tournament, and now they have risen up to sixth place and look like one of the best teams in the league.
However, the Warriors are still very much a circus and have their fair share of distractions, which could slow them down in the postseason.
Despite being a very good team, the Warriors are a caricature of their past success. At times, it seems like the team is more concerned with giving Curry a viral moment than they are about winning.
His signature “night-night” celebration goes viral on social media every time he hits it, and since it usually comes in a win, the Warriors are happy to see it no matter the context.
However, in the playoffs, the Dubs need to win no matter what, and should leave creating content to the professionals (tap into NBA Analysis for that!)
“Right now, they have all the tools possible, but they just have to make sure that when they get into games where there might be another celebration happening or something big around the game, they focus on not losing leads,” said Zena Keita on The Athletic NBA Daily podcast.
“You do what you’re supposed to do coming out and stepping on the jugular of another team, 23 points up, against a team you’re supposed to be up by that many points, and because you’re focused on making sure Steph gets a 3, or you’re focused on making sure Quintin Post can score inside, or whatever the focus might be for that night, you get derailed, and teams take advantage of that and find a way to get points off turnovers, they find a way to get back into games they shouldn’t be in.”
The Warriors only have five blown 10-point leads this season and ten blown fourth-quarter leads, which is about average in the NBA, but in the postseason, they need to be able to finish the job, and “focus” needs to be their priority.
“Right now, the Warriors have every tool that they could possibly need to be successful and make a splash in the West, it’s just going to be a matter of how focused are they on a given night?” finished Keita.
Since Curry entered the NBA, the Warriors have made the postseason nine times. More often than not, they’ve won the Conference, making it to six Finals and winning four of them.
The Warriors have always played fun, loose basketball. It’s a part of their widespread appeal and is the reason why fans from all media markets tune in to watch them play.
Some of the league’s best players ever, like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and even Tim Duncan, wouldn’t flash a smile until the job was finished. Curry and the Warriors turn that notion on its head, and have won, won, and won some more. Unlike past legends, they seem to have fun doing it, and their “joy” shouldn’t be confused for a lack of a killer instinct.
