The Golden State Warriors All-Star studded lineup boasting new addition of DeMarcus Cousins hasn't been as effective as most expected them to be after a rousing start, as recent struggles against the Phoenix Suns and the Miami Heat have dropped them to a minus-four in 100 minutes of playing time altogether, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
The gaudy first-unit that Dwyane Wade called “as good as it gets” in the history of the game has been strangely ineffective as of late, registering a minus-22 in 15 minutes against the Suns on Friday night, quickly falling to a 31-15 deficit in the first quarter.
Through 19 minutes on Sunday, starting and closing both halves, that same unit of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Cousins was a baffling minus-15 through that stretch.
A small sample size early in the season suggested the Warriors were bound to destroy the league with Cousins' surprising efficiency, yet struggles with his consistency upon more playing time quickly showed it's still a work in progress for this talent-rich lineup.
The Warriors' fab five will still experience some growing pains while learning to play with each other. After registering an ultra-potent 130.2 offensive rating during their first two games with Cousins, it only took two poor showings against the Suns and Heat to drop a combined minus-37, leading to that total minus-four through 100 minutes together in eight games of this 2018-19 season.
Having taken control of the first seed in the West, the Warriors (40-15) will have 27 more games to prove they can be as dominant as the rest of the league expected them to be when they signed Cousins to a bargain $5.3 million mid-level exception in the summer.
Follow Us
Subscribe