Why Does Golden State Look So Vulnerable?
Part of the reason why Golden State Warriors are so vulnerable now that KD is not playing for them is not because of the big three which is Steph, Klay and Green. Although, they have been been inconsistent for the last 4 games they have lost, it is mainly due to their prized bench who has bailed them out so many times before in the past. We all know that GSW has sorely missed the presence of Andrew Bogut, Leandro Barbosa and Harrison Barnes because they really added scoring and defensive production unlike any other bench team in the NBA but they had to give them away in order to get Kevin Durant and now he's injured so it leaves the Warriors with an imbalanced roster coupled with inconsistencies with their 3 all stars.
Let's get to identifying who are the ones at the Warriors roster that are having problems with the last 4 games they lost. Stephen Curry, who is the leader of the team and the engine that drives the team every time they step on the court has malfunctioned and often at times doesn't work due to some reason or the other. He's not at all playing like the MVP that he was the last two seasons and the stats are apparent, he has a minus rating for the last four loses they've had after KD's injury. The other splash brother, Klay Thompson had a minus rating up until the game against the timberwolves but showed up with 30p, 6r, 2a, 1st for the game and had an overall +9 at the end. That is the only saving grace for the Warriors. Draymond Green has been dismal with his scoring production but has maintained his defensive presence on the court with 5p, 6r, 7a, 2st and 1 block and an overall +8 at the end of the game.
Let's take a look at some of the decisions that the Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr went with in the last 4 losses. He introduced Patrick McCaw into the starting lineup when he could have started Matt Barnes instead, reduced the minutes of Javale McGee, Ian Clark, Shaun Livingston and Kevon Looney. Also, he has drawn up not so good plays especially at the 3rd quarter when the warriors in the past have known to be at their best.
But to sum why the warriors haven't been playing well, it can be easily done by simply stating the impact of Kevin Durant's absence in the line up and also their bench production. The warriors had 1/1 odds of winning the title and now those odds have dipped to 5/2 which is very troublesome for those who had placed bets before the start of the season.
