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Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors are riding high on a massive Christmas Day victory over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday. The Warriors look to carry the momentum of their league-leading 27-6 start into 2022. They hope that in six months' time, they can once again bring home the Larry O'Brien trophy to the Bay Area.
Golden State's chances of doing so are looking good with the way they are playing this season. However, championships aren't won in a Christmas Day game in December or a random big win in February. The Warriors are aware of how good they are, but they also know how much better they can still get. With the flip of a new calendar year, here are three New Year's Resolutions that Stephen Curry and the rest of the Dubs must make for the rest of the 2021-22 season.
1. Fewer turnovers, please
If there is any knock on the Warriors this season, it's their notoriety for turning the ball over a ton. Golden State, at 16.0 giveaways per contest, ranks no. 2 behind the Houston Rockets in terms of most turnovers per game this season. They finished 5th last year and have usually been a high-turnover squad since Steve Kerr took over as coach.
Kerr's motion-heavy offensive system makes the Warriors susceptible to turnovers. Likewise, high-risk takers like Draymond Green and Stephen Curry, who often try their hand at passing through small openings, tend to generate more errors than the norm. Turnovers seem to come as a result of these factors.
Nonetheless, the Dubs certainly prefer if they can cut down on their giveaways a bit more if they want a better chance of winning a championship in June. They still have the rest of the season to iron things out, familiarize themselves with each other more, and get their chemistry to top-tier levels.
2. Playing defense without fouling
Another one of Golden State's Achilles heels over the last couple of seasons is their tendency to foul too much. They've cut down on their fouling by just a tad this season at 20.3 per game, which ranks 5th most among NBA teams, compared to 21.2 a night in 2020-21, which was tied for second-most in the league.
The Warriors' aggressiveness on defense has garnered them the best defense across the Association. Usually, fouling comes with the territory of their aggressiveness on that end of the floor.
Nonetheless, the Warriors still would ideally prefer their foul numbers to go down. Sometimes, some of Golden State's players tend to swipe down on the ball or commit unnecessary ticky-tack fouls that waste away good defensive possessions. Playing much with much more discipline and honesty on the defensive end should be one of the points of emphasis for the Warriors the rest of the season. If they get that down and continue to play amazing defense, there is a good chance the Larry O'Brien trophy finds its way back to the Bay.
3. A healthy Andre Iguodala, Otto Porter Jr., and most importantly, Klay Thompson
Obviously, the Dubs prefer every single one of their guys healthy for the rest of the season. Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins must be in full health if the Warriors want any chance to win a championship this June. But more health is specifically wanted for guys like Andre Iguodala, Otto Porter Jr., and most especially, Klay Thompson this season.
Everyone knows Thompson's situation. He's coming back from two catastrophic injuries. Warriors fans don't anticipate the 5-time All-Star to be himself once he makes his return in January. Likewise, they don't see Thompson being up to speed for perhaps another couple of months. Dubs fans certainly wish the deadly to have a seamless return to form just in time for the postseason. They are current standing and depth affords them to ease Thompson as they prepare him for a deep playoff run.
As for Iguodala, he has been dealing with quite the injury bug this season. He has missed nearly half the campaign so far. A lot of this probably has to do with Father Time up catching up with him. Meanwhile, Golden State has also been taking it easy with veteran forward Otto Porter Jr. this season. They've managed his load so far and if possible, give him some rest days here and there. Porter showed in the Suns Christmas game just how vital he could be in the playoffs. Much like with Thompson, the Warriors' depth allows them to give their veterans some rest and recovery days throughout the year as they gear up for a possible championship run.
