If you have watched the Golden State Warriors a lot this season, then Thursday night's devastating loss to the Denver Nuggets shouldn't come as a surprise.
Steph Curry and Co. led the Nuggets by 18 points with 6:51 left in the fourth quarter. Both the Warriors and Nuggets were playing the first game of a back-to-back, which is why it seemed like Michael Malone was about to waive the white flag. The opposite occurred, as it was the Warriors who stopped playing and let the opposition take advantage of them. After trailing by 18 points late in the game, Denver closed things out on a 25-4 run, shoving a dagger deep into the hearts of the Warriors with a wild, game-winning circus shot by Nikola Jokic. Once again, the Warriors were left staring at the video board in Chase Center at the conclusion of a game in disbelief.
“This is a tough one,” Kerr said after the game. “This is as tough as they get, this loss tonight.”
Thursday night marked the fourth time this season that Golden State has blown an 18-point lead. Compared to years past, closing out their opponents has become the Warriors' greatest adversary. Draymond Green's absence due to his indefinite suspension has also not helped the Warriors in any way, especially since his defensive presence was needed in a game like this one against the Nuggets. Then again, it has become abundantly clear that Draymond not being available isn't the sole problem the Warriors have.
In the NBA, “clutch time” is defined as the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the score is within five points. The Warriors have played in the most clutch-time games this season, 27 of them to be exact. Of their 34 total games to this point in the season, 27 of the Dubs' games have been decided late in the fourth quarter.
The Warriors are just 13-14 in these clutch-time games. Roughly 80 percent of the team's losses this season have come in the final five minutes, leading to a constant shift in the team's emotional state.
“I have never had, like, such good wins and such bad losses,” rookie standout Brandin Podziemski admitted. “I kind of lean into the vets on what they think, and they just tell me it's another game coming and just try to be consistent in your daily habits, your routine, and more often times than not we'll come out with a victory. But, like I said, we're blowing a lot of leads.
“We could easily have 20-25 wins this year.”
While it may seem like the end of the world right now for the Warriors following yet another awful loss, it's a very valid point that they could be right up there with some of the best teams in the conference. Winning just five of these clutch time games could have made the Warriors 21-13 instead of 16-18, which would be above the play-in tournament region of the standings. Nonetheless, the Warriors record reflects who they are: a team with broken rotations that is just trying to limp to the finish line in games.
Regardless of which players are and aren't struggling, the Warriors need to quickly figure out what do and don't belong on the court.
What's going on with Moses Moody?
Amid all the changes that the Warriors have made to their rotations this season, Moses Moody has become a highly talented 21-year-old wing who hasn't played in three straight games. Once thought to be the key factor coming off the bench, Moody has been left without answers as to why he's no longer a factor for the Warriors. Still, the recent first-round pick is staying ready and waiting for his numbers to be called.
“When you're not in the rotation as much, you have to develop some other stuff. It's just one of those things you've got to do,” Moody recently told ESPN. “When you're not in the rotation, sure, you can pick not to stay ready, but then, guess what? You're not going to be ready. You've got to do whatever it takes to keep it together.”
Moody had some big moments off the bench for the Warriors earlier this season. He was instrumental in their first win of the season over the Sacramento Kings in October and Moody played a factor in the team's recent five-game win streak, their longest win streak of the season. Even so, his minutes remain a major question mark even with Gary Payton II being injured and Draymond remaining away from the team.
The trade deadline is right around the corner and the Warriors are once again being thrown into the spotlight. The need to make some sort of change is clear for Golden State, yet the organization has always hesitated when Jonathan Kuminga's or Moody's name pops up in rumors. While both players were lottery picks in 2021, Kuminga has been the one to see his role increase in Year 3. Moody deserves a lot of credit for his professionalism given that he never knows what his role will look like entering a game.
As a young player, it shouldn't come as a shock to hear that he and his agency, Klutch Sports, are frustrated with his lack of playing time. In fact, KRON4 sports director Jason Dumas recently appeared on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco and claimed that the people around Moody are “frustrated with his lack of role and consistency.”
Moody has truly been the “sacrificial lamb” for the Warriors this season, as Dumas alluded to. When the Warriors look to give any other player more minutes, Moody is always the one seeing his role decrease, which has resulted in him registering three straight DNPs. Between the lack of playing time he is seeing right now, the desire to have a larger role, and the team's overall struggles, it wouldn't be that shocking to see Moody included in more trade chatter over the next few weeks.
Chris Paul's impact has been minimal
One of the biggest moves from this past offseason came when the Warriors sent Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards in exchange for future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul, who was only with the Wizards for a short time after being traded by the Phoenix Suns for All-Star Bradley Beal. With the Warriors, Paul has provided the team with another leading voice in the locker room, as well as for the youth of this roster.
However, Paul's impact on the court has not been what the Warriors hoped for. Scoring-wise, Paul is having the worst season of his career. Not to mention, the veteran's lack of size and athleticism has made him a liability for the team defensively, especially when the Warriors go small and roll out their three-guard lineups.
Could Paul wind being a player the Warriors look to flip at the trade deadline?
This is a very similar situation to what the Warriors had during the 2019-20 season with D'Angelo Russell. When they did the sign-and-trade involving Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State brought in Russell to see if he could be a potential fit alongside Klay Thompson, Curry, and Green. Injuries and other factors prevented the Warriors from finding this out, but they ultimately decided to move Russell for Andrew Wiggins, a player who instantly became a part of their core and helped them win a championship in 2022.
We could be heading down a similar path right now with Paul. Making $30.8 million this season, Paul can be waived with no penalty as a result of his contract being non-guaranteed for the 2024-25 season. There are also numerous teams out there who could benefit from bringing in Paul to be their lead facilitator. The ability to move Paul gives the Warriors the option to explore the availability of other star players that hit the market leading up to February's trade deadline.
Warriors lacking trust and accountability
It was shocking to see the Warriors lose to the Nuggets on Thursday night. When you look at how this season has gone for Golden State though, this loss was just a reflection of the struggles this group has faced over 34 games this season.
Dysfunction is a powerful word, one that suggests that nothing can go right. It may be very harsh to say that the Warriors are a dysfunctional organization right now because they have won four championships over the nine seasons and still have three future Hall of Famers on their roster. If there is any team in the league that is capable of flipping the script of a season, it is the Warriors with Curry, Thompson, and Green.
The main problem with Golden State right now is that they are completely different than their four championship teams of the past. Whereas those teams commanded the respect and attention of every other team around the league, instilling fear when they appeared on the schedule, teams around the league are looking forward to facing the Warriors this season. Green's absence obviously plays a role in this, but the Warriors always play like they have doubts in their ability to control games this season, which had led to these monstrous comebacks like the one the Nuggets had.
“It's frustrating because you do lose a what-if game, we could be 21-13 and a different vibe around the team,” Curry said in his postgame remarks on Thursday night. “But even with the record we are now, we know we can compete. Just a situation where you're out there with a look of despair on your face because you're trying to figure out how it happened. We have to find that balance right now for us to give ourselves a chance.”
The Warriors do not have a personnel problem or a skill problem. Golden State is struggling right now because there is no accountability. Andre Iguodala, David Lee, Shaun Livingston, and David West are just a handful of the veteran players who helped lead the Warriors through the years while Curry, Thompson, and Green were the focal points on the court.
Now, the Warriors' veteran voices are their three best players, a role that Curry, Thompson, and Green have to embrace. Finding the balance between leading on the court and setting the tone for this team needs to be their focus moving forward, otherwise, it will be hard for Kerr and the coaching staff to trust anyone they throw out there on the court.
“When you lose hope in yourself as a team, that's when the conversation changes. We're not there.”
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