SAN FRANCISCO — When it was over, when the buzzer sounded and New Orleans was performed choosing on the carcass of the Warriors, Stephen Curry stood up shortly off the bench and began for the locker room. He’d sat and watched the ultimate quarter-hour, six seconds of the 36-point loss, punctuating a demoralizing 2-5 homestand. It was the second consecutive blowout house loss, confirming the Warriors’ dire state is actual. He seemed to be in no temper for hugs and small speak.
However instantly, as he arrived on the baseline, earlier than escaping into the privateness of the tunnel, Curry stopped. He turned, clapped a number of instances and waited as his teammates walked previous him, each getting a dap as they exited the courtroom.
As a result of if he doesn’t try to preserve the optimistic vibes, they gained’t be saved. If he isn’t speaking, they’ll stay a quiet workforce with out Draymond Inexperienced and Chris Paul. If he doesn’t rating, their offense goes to wrestle.
That is the opposite aspect of the face-of-franchise coin. The Warriors, rightfully, construct all the pieces round him. They cater to his enjoying fashion. However when it doesn’t work, the burden is his to bear.
“I don’t want no sympathy,” Curry mentioned, flashing an enormous smile.
However the toll it’s taking is clear. Christmas Day was the beginning of a funk. Over his final eight video games, Curry is averaging 21.5 factors on 36.7 % capturing. He’s making simply 31.4 % of his 3s.
Slumps are regular. Curry is nice for one or two a season. He’ll be 36 in two months. Fatigue will more and more be an element. The issue at the moment is the Warriors can’t afford his slumps. Not proper now. With Klay Thompson topping 15 factors in simply three of the final eight video games and Andrew Wiggins struggling mightily, Curry’s chilly spell looms even bigger. And he doesn’t have the assistance of Paul, sidelined for 4 to 6 weeks, and Inexperienced, who’s working his approach again after a 12-game suspension. Inexperienced might be again quickly, and his on-court chemistry with Curry ought to assist.
The Warriors are 11-4 when Curry scores 30 or extra, and 13-3 when he shoots at the very least 45 % from the sector.
“I feel we’ve thrown a ton on his shoulders,” coach Steve Kerr mentioned. “The burden that Steph Curry has on him for this franchise is unfair. … Draymond is the vocal chief of the workforce, clearly. He and Steph have form of been co-captaining the management with our group for a decade. So with out Draymond right here, that provides much more to Steph’s plate. We’re attempting to combine lots of younger gamers. Steph has a really distinctive fashion. It’s the play after the play that issues with Steph. And we’ve put him in some mixtures the place the play after the play isn’t taking place. And that’s irritating for him.”
Most of his minutes have been with the beginning 5 the Warriors desperately wish to work: Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Inexperienced and Kevon Looney. However that lineup has been outscored by 23 factors in 133 minutes. The following lineup Curry’s in probably the most contains Thompson and Looney together with Jonathan Kuminga and rookie Brandin Podziemski. That unit is minus-33 in 105 minutes collectively.
The best Warriors lineup? Curry, Paul, Thompson, Kuminga and Looney. It has outscored opponents by 44 factors in 63 minutes. Swap Wiggins for Kuminga and you’ve got the Warriors’ second-most efficient lineup, which is plus-40 in 93 minutes.
Kerr mentioned Curry is handiest when he can thrive on and off the ball. Different superstars, Kerr named James Harden and Luka Dončić, get all they will eat at The Excessive-Decide-and-Roll Buffet. However Kerr contends, as he has for a decade, that isn’t the best offense for Curry. The Warriors’ offense is constructed on him fluidly transitioning from on ball to off ball, usually in the identical possession.
With Draymond Inexperienced nonetheless working his approach again and accidents to Chris Paul and Gary Payton II, Stephen Curry has shouldered an excellent bigger load for the Warriors. (Cary Edmondson / USA As we speak)
That requires a chemistry between him and the opposite choices. It additionally requires particular expertise from the supporting solid. It requires somebody who can run the present whereas he’s off the ball. It requires shooters. It requires somebody who can lower and end on the rim, profiting from the openings created by Curry’s gravity.
“Frankly,” Kerr mentioned, “we’ve had some mixtures on the market that don’t acknowledge that in addition to sure mixtures. So if you combine in that and a number of the different guys struggling, no matter, and the occasional turmoil, that’s quite a bit. This man has carried our torch for over a decade and all the pieces we constructed relies on him. So we’re placing an excessive amount of on his plate proper now.”
Try this luck: The Warriors’ most efficient pairings with Curry are Paul (+58) and Gary Payton II (+51). Each Paul and Payton are unavailable. It’s even conceivable each have performed their last recreation as a Warrior because the commerce deadline is lower than a month away.
Greater than lineups, what Curry may want is relaxation.
On Jan. 10, 2023, Curry was getting back from an 11-game absence as a consequence of a shoulder subluxation. He was rusty, making simply 8 of twenty-two photographs, because the Warriors misplaced to the visiting Suns at Chase Heart.
On Jan. 10, 2024, Curry was sloughing by one other listless house efficiency by the Warriors, attempting his finest to summon sufficient star energy to maintain the Warriors aggressive. The Pelicans outscored the Warriors by 4 factors when Curry was on the ground. However he solely performed 25 minutes as a result of New Orleans outscored Golden State by 32 factors whereas he was on the bench.
Curry’s performed in 35 of the Warriors’ 37 video games, totaling simply greater than 1,160 minutes. Final season, he didn’t play his thirty fifth recreation till the Warriors’ fiftieth recreation.
“I really feel like we’ve been on this scenario for the final two years,” Curry mentioned. “Even within the championship 12 months, we began 18-2 after which we had some tough patches like this the place we struggled mightily. These final couple of years have been tough due to all of the noise and distractions, due to the dearth of consistency on the courtroom. Not less than final 12 months we had sufficient to scare anyone. However we’re removed from that proper now.”
The irritating half for the Warriors is that they thought they made the changes. They got here into this season feeling good about what they’d. The younger gamers have been hungry and prepared for a bigger load. Veterans that match higher have been added to the combo. They added one other chief and ground basic in Paul.
Once they began 6-2, it felt like they’d constructed a extra superb assortment of gamers. Since that begin, they’re 11-18 and look worse off than final season.
“Draymond’s missed 19 video games,” Curry mentioned. “GP’s missed nevertheless many. Now CP’s lacking six weeks. The imaginative and prescient of it was there, however we haven’t had it. That’s not an excuse. We simply haven’t. Each workforce desires your full squad to know in case you’re adequate. And you then make choices based mostly off of that. We’re someplace in between. And the system is getting threatened since you’re attempting to play a sure approach that you recognize produces profitable, and we haven’t performed it. No one’s actually enjoying as much as our requirements. So it’s lots of issues.”
Hope shouldn’t be misplaced. Curry’s head was down as he listened to the query of whether or not he believed the Warriors’ system and philosophy was nonetheless viable. However the optimism in Curry kicked in.
He lifted his head, smiled extensive once more, and answered within the affirmative.
“Sure,” Curry mentioned, “however it could require some tweaks based mostly on personnel and the extent of urgency and the — quote, unquote — panic meter. You’ll be able to’t preserve doing the identical issues and count on issues to miraculously change.”
Curry will simply should be the change, at the very least for now. Wins are so elusive, the Warriors can’t afford to relaxation him. Jordan Poole was good for these instances. They may give the reins to him when Curry (or Thompson) missed video games. And Poole was younger, so no want to fret about overloading him with minutes.
One of many dangers of buying Paul was the Warriors can be with out Curry, whether or not for harm or relaxation, and Paul can be out, too. On the lowest level of the season, that’s their actuality. They will’t relaxation Curry.
Which suggests Curry should discover a option to play higher. On the street. In opposition to the double groups and traps and layers of assist. In lineups that don’t match him nicely. With fatigue hampering his capturing. With gamers who aren’t ending the photographs he creates. By way of his head-scratching turnovers. By way of whistles that don’t blow. Whereas opponents assault him on protection.
He don’t want no sympathy.
GO DEEPER
The Warriors must make adjustments; here is a information to what may occur
(Photograph of Stephen Curry throughout Wednesday’s loss to the Pelicans: Cary Edmondson / USA As we speak)
