Everyone knew the Golden State Warriors would take a step back this season, but I'm not sure anyone expected this.
Through their first two games, the Warriors have been outscored 261-214, losing by 19 to the Los Angeles Clippers in their season opener (understandable) and getting routed by 28 against the Oklahoma City Thunder (not so understandable) on Sunday.
Golden State will get another crack at notching its first win of of the year on Monday night when it takes on the New Orleans Pelicans.
Here are three things the Dubs need to do to make that happen:
3. Draymond Green Needs to Score
Look, I get it: Draymond Green is not a scorer, but the Warriors need him to put the ball in the hoop with Klay Thompson sidelined.
It's not like Thompson is just out for a few games, either: he might be out all season, so scoring is something that Green is going to have to do regularly over the course of the 2019-20 campaign.
Over his first two contests, Green is averaging 10.5 points per game, and while that is right in line with his career average of 9.1, it isn't enough.
With defenses keying on Stephen Curry (more on that in a second), the Dubs need someone else to open up the offense along with D'Angelo Russell. Green has to be that guy.
It's not like he has never had big scoring games before.
2. Get Stephen Curry Better Looks
Curry has attempted 20 three-pointers over the first two games. He has made four of them.
I don't care how great of a shooter Curry is: with Golden State not having any other consistent offensive weapons, he is not going to be able to be as efficient as usual from long range, as defenses are all over him.
That's why the Warriors need to get a bit creative in how they get Curry looks, and that doesn't just mean three-pointers.
Set off-ball screens to get him loose for backdoor cuts. Run some pick-and-roll with the athletic Marquese Chriss to make the defense either sink in to stop the alley-oop or potentially load up on Curry to free up Chriss for an easy bucket.
Do something to make life easier for Steph.
1. Defend the Three-Point Line
I understand that the Dubs have a plethora of injuries right now, and they're not stopping. It's not just Thompson; it's also Willie Cauley-Stein and now Kevon Looney.
But injuries do not preclude the Warriors from making a better effort do defend the three-point line.
The Clippers buried 18 triples against Golden State last week. The Thunder made 15 more on Sunday.
That is inexcusable, and with JJ Redick on the horizon Monday evening, the Dubs need to be ready to be much more alert in closing out, fighting through screens and contesting three-pointers.
The Warriors have been getting a bit of a taste of their own medicine thus far, and it has not been fun for Steve Kerr's club.
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