Last June, Stephen Curry waved goodbye to a sell-out crowd in Cleveland that had just witnessed the Golden State Warriors claim a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals, a lead which had never been overcome.
There was very little doubt among NBA enthusiasts that the Warriors would go on to repeat as champions, and that unanimous MVP Stephen Curry would claim his first Finals MVP award.
But from that moment, from when Steph Curry waved goodbye to the Quicken Loans Arena crowd, the Warriors have been vulnerable. They have fallen victim to their own confidence and swagger, that same attitude that saw them rise to the top of the NBA. And right now, they are as vulnerable as they have ever been under coach Steve Kerr.
The Warriors currently sit atop of the league with a record of 50-11, 2.5 games ahead of San Antonio in the western conference. For the whole of last season they only lost nine games, but it is not the wins and losses which are concerning, but the way they are playing.
The Warriors were recently defeated by Washington and Chicago in back-to-back games, making it the first time since 2015 that they had lost two consecutive games. Yes, Kevin Durant left early in the Washington game with an injury that could see him miss one month of basketball, but how Golden State played down the stretch in both games was concerning.
Klay Thompson and Steph Curry shot a combined 15-49 in the loss to Chicago, notably forcing up shots early in the shot clock in the fourth quarter, and looked visibly tired and frustrated. In the Washington loss, Curry missed a 30-foot three that would have given them the lead with seven seconds remaining.
The shots they are taking aren’t necessarily bad; after all it is the Splash Brothers we are talking about. But rewind to last season for a minute.
Stephen Curry launches a 38-foot three off the dribble to bury Oklahoma City at the death, and the typical Curry swagger is on show for all to see. Fast forward to the playoffs, and Klay Thompson single handily keeps the Warriors season alive against the Thunder with clutch shot after clutch shot down the stretch in game six of the conference finals, scoring 41 points on 11-18 three-point shooting.
In game seven of that series, Curry drains a long three in the final minutes early in the shot clock to send the Warriors back to the Finals.
Back to the present, and that swagger and clutch shooting is seemingly nonexistent. Draymond Green and Paul Pierce exchanged words, and JaVale McGee and Shaquille O’Neal went at each other on Twitter. The Warriors are not locked in right now. They are distracted, and unlike last season, don’t have the target of 73 wins to keep the regular season interesting.
On top of that, rivals Houston and Cleveland continue to improve through acquiring proven players to come off the bench, and the Spurs are one of the hottest teams in the NBA at the moment. Steph Curry is shooting a lower percentage from three than his brother Seth, and Klay Thompson is being out-shot by Jae Crowder.
There is no reason to panic just yet. There may be no reason to panic at all. Golden State could easily go on a ten-game winning streak and be the hottest team in the NBA come playoff time. But right now they are not the same team they were over the last two seasons.
The swagger and flare is a shadow of what it once was, and in fourth quarters their big three are struggling to make shots.
Maybe the lack of swagger is a sign of a more focused roster. Maybe blowing a 3-1 lead last season was the reality check they needed to be better prepared for the playoffs this season.
But maybe, just maybe, we are witnessing the steady downfall of the best regular season team in NBA history.
Justin Ahrns
Roar Guru
Durant is definitely a great addition for him, but the overall chemistry is a concern. There could be some great playoff series this year, I think there are a few teams in each conference that can challenge the Warriors and the Cavs
Mushi
Guest
The chemistry thing is what the rest of the league is hoping for (me included). But... if we didn't have last year's team as a reference point we'd be lauding the current squad. I think what they've gained, arguably the second best player in the league with a chip, and integrated is so much better than last year. Durant is really the only guy in the league with a shot to trade blows with Bron in a straight up fight and he's got a 2 time mvp, a defensive Poy candidate, and a top flight scorer (who plays D) backing him up. The chemistry is probably going to be a bigger issue if they win and then player want their individual props. As much as I was hoping green would have pouted his way to a trade demand by now...
Justin Ahrns
Roar Guru
Absolutely. I think they will get there, but they arent the same for sure
astro
Guest
Listening to the Simmons podcast with Luke Walton really made me think about the incredible chemistry last years Warriors had, and whether they have the same thing this year or not. KD is such a huge presence, that its hard not to think that while they made a massive gain in talent, they might have lost a little in chemistry...and maybe that's showing now. The dynamic between Curry, Klay, Iggy, Livingston and Draymond then the role players like McCaw, Zaza, West, McAdoo, doesn't feel the same as it did with Bogut, Speights, Barbosa and Harrison Barnes. I'm sure its just a time factor...those guys were together for years and this years team is still learning to play together, but with the Cavs looking insanely deep now, and the Spurs, Rockets and Raps all looking strong, the Warriors do feel a bit more vulnerable than they did a couple of weeks ago...
Justin Ahrns
Roar Guru
Yes, you are right. But the trend of their fourth quarter struggles is growing, and whilst they have 3 A+ scorers, they have really struggled when it matters late in games. I hope I'm wrong, as GS are as good to watch as anyone at times, but if I was a Warriors fan I'd be slightly concerned
Mushi
Guest
Hmm not sure I buy it. Hope I'm wrong but if I've got 4 plus years of evidence that guys can shoot and a handful of games that they can't I am slightly inclined to side with the former. Just like when Bron goes down for Cleveland it's hard to just adjust on the fly. Give them a few weeks to get a non KD groove. I think there would be a long list of teams that would take this "steady downfall"
Justin Ahrns
Roar Guru
Knees, shoulders and ankles as well. He was definitely far from his best. I just wonder if that finals loss will be too much for them mentally to bounce back from
Brian
Guest
Hope your right but I suspect after last year's 1-3 reversal they are focused on the finals. Unlike last year when Curry's knees weren't at their best against the Cavs.