The lockout-shortened season hasn”t started the way the Golden State Warriors wanted.
They are 8-14 after a heartbreaking loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday, and entering Wednesday, sat fourth in the Pacific Division and 13th in the Western Conference.
Obviously not the results rookie head coach Mark Jackson, team executives and fans had hoped for.
Then again, in this abbreviated season, Golden State finds itself only a handful of games below the final playoff spot.
An optimist would point to how many games are left, how all teams are fighting injuries and how the Warriors, as a young unit, should improve as they compete more together.
A pessimist would cite the team”s poor defensive stats (27th in rebounds and 28th in points allowed coming into Wednesday), inept bench play and lack of size.
A realist might stand somewhere near the middle, but probably lean toward the cynical view.
The Warriors did have their chances to win some close games that would have put their season in a whole new perspective.
Instead, they find themselves with nine losses by eight or fewer points, including classic choke-jobs at home (against the Thunder, Utah Jazz, Indiana Pacers and Memphis Grizzlies) and on the road (in San Antonio and Sacramento).
Golden State continually falls victim to two major problems: free throws and rebounds.
The Warriors have NBA-worst differentials in free throws made (minus-5.9) and attempted (minus-8). Closing the gap at the line would go a long way, considering they”re getting outscored by just 2.4 points per game.
Having inactive hands on the glass is another killer.
Of course, grabbing only 40 rebounds per game (bottom four in the league) is awful, but the underlying issue is bench productivity.
No Golden State backup averages more than four rebounds per game — well, at least no healthy player.
Kwame Brown provided a stable bench presence earlier in the year (averaging 6.3 points and 6.3 rebounds) and seemed on his way to replacing the embarrassingly ineffective Andris Biedrins, whose per-game totals are now 4.7 rebounds, 2.6 points and 2.9 fouls.
Then Brown injured his shoulder, leaving the Warriors with no backup center.
To be fair, the bench guards have had decent seasons so far, highlighted by early-year acquisition Nate Robinson averaging 10.7 points and rookie Klay Thompson at 6.7 points.
But the Warriors don”t necessarily need scorers off the bench; they need guys that can do some of everything because the starters (other than the aforementioned Latvian) are playing great offensively.
Small forward Dorell Wright has rebounded from a tough start and has begun to hit 3-pointers more consistently.
Stephen Curry battled back from an ankle injury and now averages 16.3 points, 4.2 boards, 6.8 assists and 2.15 steals.
David Lee is top 20 in the league in rebounds (10), points (18.7) and field-goal percentage (50.8) per game.
Monta Ellis has been the most impressive though, continuing to wow NBA fans with his scoring ability (including a 48-point performance Tuesday).
The success of the core four helped Golden State earn very good victories against some of the league”s better teams, including the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers.
The Warriors must build on the remarkable wins and close losses if they have any hope of reviving their dismal season.
A single-digit deficit won”t be impossible to make up with more than half of the season left to play, but it has to start now.
The Warriors have eight games left before the All-Star break, and they have to play well during that stretch.
It won”t be easy, with tough matchups against Portland, Oklahoma City, Memphis, the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets, but they have to find a way to win a majority of those contests.
If Golden State flounders, the season will be over – which could lead to the end of an era.
That would make three years in the Curry-Ellis experiment and not once sniffing .500. Team execs could rightfully consider shipping one away in the hopes of getting a big man and a bench player with defensive and rebounding skills.
So, if the tandem wants to stay together, the winning must begin soon probably tonight against the injury-riddled Nuggets.
