The past few weeks have been tough for the Golden State Warriors, who have not only won two of their last 11 games, but have also recently suffered a wave of five consecutive losses, giving up the throne of second place in the West to the youth Memphis Grizzlies, and what is more important is that some players have lost the passion and confidence of the beginning of the season in this 2-9 schedule.
It stands to reason that the Warriors should be very eager to get home advantage in the second round of the playoffs because they are one of the best defensive teams in the league at home, but sadly things have taken a sharp turn for the worse lately, and despite losing only seven games at home this season, they have recently lost two consecutive games, plus today's loss to the Denver Nuggets, and the Warriors have lost the entire road trip so far.
The Warriors' situation won't change anytime soon, as the return date of four-time All-Star forward Draymond Green remains unsettled, and the 2020 leader James Wiseman season debut has been repeatedly delayed. But even without these two key players, the Warriors still have a lineup that can win games, but they just don't play well, so let's take a closer look at who the three most disappointing Warriors players in the past few weeks are.
1 Andrew Wiggins
Wiggins has become an All-Star starter this season, and while many have questioned it, overall his performance this season also deserves that honor. But Wiggins' efficiency has plummeted recently, averaging just 13.9 points per game since February, shooting 41.9 percent from the field, defensive desire and desire to attack the basket is no longer as strong as it used to be, and it is clear that Green's absence has had a big impact on him. Wiggins needs to take on the role of the team's third-wicked scorer, but his performances over the past few weeks have been unacceptable, and everyone knows they won't have a chance to reach the NBA Finals unless Wiggins can get back to their early season form.
2 Little Otto-Porter
In the past few weeks, due to Green's absence, the Warriors have had to rely more heavily on Porter's play. With veteran André Iguodala playing just 26 games this season, Porter Jr.'s playing time has risen all the way. While Porter was also strong in the opening stages of the season, his recent performances have been extremely poor. This season, Porter averaged 8.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, shooting 47 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range. But since February, Porter Jr.'s shooting percentage has plummeted, with just 41 percent shooting and 19 percent three-point shooting, while averaging just 5.9 points per game, despite averaging 19.2 minutes per game. Porter Jr. needs to get better, and he's been a key reason for the Warriors' struggles lately.
3 Clay Thompson
In the first few weeks after his return, five-time All-Star guard Klay Thompson didn't take much pressure, and everyone was happy to see him return to the court, and didn't set him much higher goals, but now that he's been back on the court for a few months, it's time to start expecting Thompson to become more efficient on the court.
Thompson hasn't played well in the past few weeks and missed two games, which could have affected his pace. Thompson, like Curry, is about to enter the first season of his career with no more than 40 percent shooting, averaging 16.5 points per game and shooting just 41 percent from the field. But in the last five games, Thompson's shooting percentage has dropped to 33%, and his three-point shooting rate has only 31%, averaging only 12.8 points per game, while averaging 28.5 minutes per game.
The Warriors need former All-Star Thompson to get back in shape as soon as possible so that there is hope of a championship, and it is his slump that has led the Warriors to a record of only 2 wins and 8 losses in the last 10 games.