Yesterday, the Warriors lost to the Nuggets and suffered two straight losses. In the past five games, the Warriors have only won games against the Lakers, and the gap between them and the first place in the West is widening, while the Grizzlies in the third place in the West are still chasing each other, and the Warriors can be described as suffering from the back. At present, the Warriors' record is not advantageous, and according to the recent momentum development, the Warriors are very likely to be surpassed by the Grizzlies in the next game. Fortunately, tomorrow will be All-Star Weekend, and the Warriors have a week to make adjustments.
That being said, the Warriors' recent poor record is not caused by the fatigue of the players. In fact, this season's Warriors have shown very few games that have really shown their championship strength, and only in November last year did the Warriors play at their top level. In the following games, the Warriors' state was not stable, and Curry's lack of recovery was one of the reasons, but it was clear that Thompson was the culprit that caused the Warriors to lose repeatedly. Thompson returned on Jan. 4 and has played in 16 games so far in the season, with the Warriors' record of 8 wins and 8 losses, a winning percentage of only 50%, far lower than the Warriors' winning rate this season. Even if the Warriors are ready to sacrifice their record before Thompson returns, the premise must not affect the playoffs.
The all-out game at the beginning of the season is gone, replaced by Thompson's singles with the ball. Watching warrior games, we can often see this picture - Thompson broke through with the ball on the outside, completed a mid-range shot through a retreat step, and then hit the iron. This is the Warriors' problem, and it is also the misunderstanding of Kerr's strategic arrangement. Admittedly, with the decline in the attack power of the Splash Brothers, Kerr's passing system has been unable to support the Warriors' full-court offense, so the Warriors do need to add some of the ball-holding singles. Obviously, the warrior's most suitable player to hold the ball singles is Curry, but Kerr has arranged this tactic to Thompson, curry is really a tool man in Kerr's eyes, and can only act as a green leaf for teammates by running without the ball. I have to admit that After returning from a serious injury, Thompson's ball-holding skills have indeed improved, but it definitely cannot meet the requirements of single players with the ball. It is clear from the game that Thompson's left leg is still not smooth, causing Thompson's shots to frequently hit the front frame, but Cole insists on letting Thompson hold the ball and single, which will only be counterproductive.
As we all know, Before the injury, Thompson was the league's strongest no-ball attacker, with only 52 touches and 11 dribbles to score 60 points in a single game, making him the top no-ball shooter in NBA history and the most healthy way to play. Thompson, who returned from injury, should have continued this role positioning and playing style, but Cole liked to win eyeballs in unexpected ways. This season Thompson hit the lowest shooting percentage of his career at 41.8%, and now Thompson only sees the basket, which seriously hurt the Warriors' overall offense, and it is no accident that the Warriors have won all five games in Thompson's five games off. Therefore, the Warriors did not show a significant decline compared to the beginning of the season, but because Thompson's comeback destroyed the Warriors' good chemistry.
Kerr's decision was not wrong, after Durant left, the Warriors lost the attack point of the single with the ball, which is also an essential weapon in the playoffs. In my opinion, Thompson can single with the ball, but he should focus on no-ball offense, supplemented by singles with the ball, until the competitive state is restored to the best. After Thompson's comeback, the Warriors' offense should have taken to the next level, the skinny camel is bigger than the horse, Thompson is one of the most threatening three-point players in the league, and he can well alleviate the pressure on Curry's bag. The strength of the Splash Brothers lies not only in their three-point projection ability to win the league, but also in their no-ball running threat can bring gain to the other side, which is the real essence, if Thompson is the end of the day, transformed into a ball-holding offensive player, then the Splash Brothers are also in name only.
After the All-Star Game, the Warriors will usher in the comeback of Wiseman, who is also an inside player who needs the ball, what choice will Kerr make when the time comes? Hopefully, All-Star Weekend will be a node for Cole to experiment with tactics, with the All-Star game dominating the record. The Warriors face many problems, hidden dangers on the inside, dream green's injury, Curry's offensive state...