Los Angeles Clippers ahead Robert Covington, proper, shoots as Golden State Warriors ahead Otto Porter Jr. defends through the first half of an NBA basketball recreation Monday, Feb. 14, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photograph/Mark J. Terrill)
LOS ANGELES — Following the Warriors’ newest loss, coach Steve Kerr’s frustration was instantly evident. His phrases have been crucial, however the gravelly tone with which he spoke did extra of the speaking.
“I used to be doing numerous yelling on the market tonight,” Kerr mentioned after the 119-104 defeat to the Clippers, Golden State’s third in its previous 4 video games. The offender for Kerr’s hoarse voice was, once more, the Warriors’ protection, which as soon as led the NBA however over its final seven video games has ranked close to the underside of the league.
“I do know we’re the ‘No. 1 protection within the league,'” Kerr mentioned, placing air quotes across the phrase, “however we’re not proper now. These numbers are inflated by what we did early within the season.”
Earlier this season, the Warriors had Draymond Inexperienced, their all-NBA air-traffic controller on protection. However Monday evening’s loss was the twentieth consecutive recreation Inexperienced has missed with a decrease again challenge — and the newest in a stretch the place his absence has been felt extra acutely.
The Warriors survived at first, sustaining a 104.9 defensive score of their first 13 video games with out Inexperienced (posting a report of 9-4), solely a slight downgrade from their league-leading mark of 102.2 earlier than shedding Inexperienced. However they've faltered over their previous seven video games, throughout which they’ve surrendered a minimum of 110 factors six occasions and misplaced three of them. Their common factors allowed throughout that span: 113.3, their most over any seven video games this season. And their defensive score: 116.1, ninth-worst within the NBA.
Monday evening, the Clippers drove into the paint at will (outscoring the Warriors 54-40). However they managed solely six factors in transition and grabbed solely six offensive rebounds, one fewer than the Warriors (aided, maybe, by a 56.5% hit charge on pictures from the sphere), two of the Golden State’s largest points getting into Monday evening.
“Each recreation it’s been one thing slightly completely different,” Kerr mentioned. “When you may’t depend on the connection defensively and the competitiveness and the fireplace, each evening’s going to be slightly completely different. … Tonight didn’t really feel prefer it had something to do with measurement. They only went proper round us.”
With out Inexperienced, the Warriors don’t simply lose a quick-thinking, athletic ahead; his absence leaves them with out their major communicator, too — typically actually a void of sound. These duties apparently, as evidenced by his voice afterward, fell to Kerr extra typically than regular on Monday.
“We didn’t speak rather a lot tonight,” Steph Curry mentioned afterward. “ all people’s on the identical web page as a result of they’re yelling and speaking and screaming each possession. We didn’t try this tonight.”
“The one factor that you are able to do is talk and keep linked, regardless of who’s on the market,” Kerr mentioned. “We have been everywhere in the map tonight. It doesn't matter what scheme we have been in, we have been out of place.”
Mentioned Curry: “There have been numerous possessions tonight the place one man was doing the appropriate factor and two guys weren’t and two guys have been form of simply watching.”
Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the Warriors’ most sluggish stretch of video games is coming within the lead-up to the All-Star break. Kerr mentioned he believed that the timing was “positively a part of it” however famous, the identical as Curry, that each different crew has logged near 60 video games with no relaxation, too.
No one must be extra excited for the week off than Kevon Looney, who not solely has performed in all 58 video games this season — the one Warrior who can declare that — but additionally shouldered a higher load of the defensive obligations in Inexperienced’s absence.
“He is without doubt one of the greatest defenders within the league, so not having him out there may be all the time going to be one thing we're lacking,” Looney mentioned of taking part in with out Inexperienced. “Not tonight, however in different video games, we have now proven in stretches that we is usually a actually good defensive crew with out him.”
Curry, a significant believer within the significance of the texture of the locker room after video games, preferred the best way the Warriors responded to their first lack of this stretch, final Wednesday at Utah. That’s not how he needs to enter the All-Star break, although. With one recreation left — Wednesday towards Denver — Curry needs nothing greater than to take good vibes into the break.
However with the best way they've performed lately, “we don't need to have that vibe within the locker room,” Curry mentioned. “We’ve bought yet one more recreation to get some vibes and mojo going, be professionals by way of how we strategy it, then get some relaxation and are available again and hit the bottom working.”