Will The "Win Now" Warriors Improve Their Road Woes From Last Season?
In a year filled with controversy, turmoil, and a lack of chemistry on and off the court, the Golden State Warriors look forward to improve from their lackluster season that ended in disappointment.
One aspect they look to improve is their tumultuous road record; the question is, will this iteration of the Warriors be able to improve their road woes from last season?
They went 11-30 on the road last season, losing close one-possession games due to a lack of chemistry, suspect shot turnovers, rushing their pace of play, and poor decision-making late in the fourth quarter during crunch time.
With the championship core still intact, young players like Kuminga and Moody, and the new offseason additions of Chris Paul, Dario Saric, and Corey Joseph bringing veteran stability and confidence to the court, Golden State will have a great opportunity to improve on last year's road woes.
"We have to be more controlled this year. Last year we were number 29 in the league in turnovers, or, in other words, second worst in the league, but we had a fast pace in the league. That’s not a great combination” said head coach Steve Kerr on ESPN’s NBA Today.
Being at the bottom of the league in turnovers and leading the league in pace of play is not a recipe for success for any team in the Association. There were times when they were playing too fast and too loose with the ball late in games that cost them wins, especially on the road.
One player who will significantly help them slow down their pace of play and increase their basketball IQ next season will be veteran point guard Chris Paul.
"One of the things that I love about Chris is that he controls games. We need his ability to control the game at key times for us, and he knows he’s going to adapt to some of the stuff we do, especially when he’s playing with Steph, throwing the ball ahead with a little more pace" Kerr continued in the interview.
It will be interesting to see how Paul is integrated and utilized throughout the upcoming season. There has been some speculation that he will be a big factor in the second unit, along with Kuminga, Moody, and Saric.
It would not be surprising to see Kerr use a three-guard lineup of Curry, Paul, and Thompson, along with Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green, in some variation of a starting or finishing lineup to have another veteran presence with the ball in his hands on the floor during crucial times during games.
"I kind of like the idea of finding a better balance this year. Being more under control but still being lethal offensively. And of course, what Chris does in pick and roll and his midrange game will always give you a chance in every possession to get a good shot. He’s one of the great point guards of all time, so we’re lucky to have him” Kerr said of Paul’s potential impact.
There is no doubt that the Warriors' youth, inexperience, and lack of consistency on the court hindered their chances of winning games on the road late in games which led to their many woes and reduced the margin for error. With the many moves they have made during the offseason (trading for Paul, signing Joseph and Saric in free agency, and signing Draymond to the 3-year contract extension), the Warriors will be able to drastically improve last season's road issues by improving their basketball IQ, limiting their erratic turnovers late in the game, chemistry on and off the court, and becoming a more consistent team with the veteran additions joining the team. At the end of the day, it is all about winning.
"Look at teams that have won. You realize that there is a certain way about how you show up on a nightly basis. Everybody is important. Everybody is valuable. It’s not going to look pretty for the majority of the year for some guys. Some are going to be in and out of the rotation. Guys are going to be asked to do things that may not all the way vibe with how they see themselves. You’ve got your core that’s got to figure out how to stay at a certain level. All those things are about winning. We had a lot of narratives around the team that have been a little bit distracting to that. But that’s all it is. It’s not about anything other than winning" Steph Curry told Marcus Thompson via the Athletic.
Winning championships requires everyone within the organization to be on the same page. Championship teams don’t care about personal accolades or achievements; all they care about is the common goal of winning a championship.
When the face of your franchise, a potential top 10 player of all time, and the greatest player to ever don the Warriors uniform preaches winning over everything, then the vibe and tone he sets will force people to fall in line and organically create a winning mindset and attitude that people will buy into, no matter what narratives surround the organization.
(Photo credit: Andrew D. Bernstein / Getty Images)