The Warriors’ season started strong at 12-3, but it’s been a steep decline ever since. As they approach the All-Star Break, they’re barely hovering around .500. A major factor in their struggles has been Buddy Hield’s massive shooting slump, along with poor floor spacing, bad defense, Steve Kerr’s commitment to small-ball, and puzzling rotation decisions.
One of the bright spots this season has been Andrew Wiggins. After dealing with personal issues for a couple of seasons, he has returned to form, averaging 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while being rated as a Top 5 isolation defender in the league. Another major bright spot was Jonathan Kuminga emerging as a dominant force before his unfortunate injury. Additionally, the team has discovered that Quintin Post and Gui Santos are very good, active, and smart role players who have made a positive impact.
“ He look like he got belief. ”
– Draymond Green
One thing that has stood out is that Steph Curry has clearly not been himself. Some people blamed fatigue from the Olympics, others suggested he was nursing an injury, and some just said he’s getting old. It was evident during games that he was not being aggressive, playing poor defense, and turning the ball over. While his stats aren’t terrible, what he was bringing to the game fell far short of what a franchise player should contribute.
Then came the trade deadline. The Warriors traded away Dennis Schröder, Kyle Anderson (Slow-Mo), and Wiggins, acquiring disgruntled Heat superstar Jimmy Butler. After a couple of good games, Draymond Green appeared on Baron Davis’s podcast and, in response to why Steph has been playing so aggressively now, said, “He look like he got belief.”
If that’s the case, it raises concerns about Steph’s approach this season. While some of his teammates were giving maximum effort every night, it appears he may not have been fully engaged until the team’s roster improved. For a player of his stature, that’s a surprising and concerning revelation about leadership and accountability.