The Warriors stumbled into the midway point of the 2022-23 NBA season Tuesday night with a hallow thud of loss to a Phoenix Suns team that was without four starters and six of its top players as the owners of a six-game losing streak. One night later, that same shorthanded Suns squad lost by 29 points to the Denver Nuggets, the team that has been atop the Western Conference standings for much of the season.
Through 41 games, the Warriors have a losing record of 20-21. That's good for eighth place in the West and eight games back of first place. They were 30-11 halfway through last season, despite Klay Thompson playing only three of those games.
After an eight-game homestand where the Warriors won their first five contests -- all without Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins -- and dropped their final three to the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic before falling to Phoenix's backups, Golden State hits the road for an all-important five-game trip. The first three are against the San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards, three teams near the bottom of the standings. For a team with a 3-16 road record, the Warriors have to take advantage of their opportunity on paper. Especially with the road trip ending on a back-to-back against the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.
So far this season, the Warriors haven't exactly had their way with the bottom feeders of the league. Instead, they've struggled with teams who are more likely to bow at Victor Wembanyama highlights than push for the playoffs.
Steve Kerr called the Warriors' loss to the Suns a "wake-up call" and told coaches this could be a good thing in the long run. Players and coaches are well aware of the Warriors' road woes. They remain confident but are realistic, knowing they need to start reeling off some wins, particularly away from the friendly confines of Chase Center.
There are plenty of questions floating inside and outside of the building right now. Let's look at three that are paramount to the Warriors' success, or failures, for the second half.
Can Jordan Poole Find Consistency?
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Jordan Poole scored at least 20 points in each game of the Warriors' eight-game homestand. He scored 40 or more points once, 30 or more twice and at least 25 points five times. Poole averaged 27.9 points as the Warriors went 5-3 with a five-game win streak and a three-game losing streak.
In that span, he also shot 42.3 percent from the field and a lowly 28.6 percent on 3-pointers. In the 11 straight games that Curry missed to a left shoulder injury, Poole kept the Warriors afloat with his scoring output. But he also was a headache losing the ball, averaging 4.1 assists and 4.8 turnovers.
Curry's return pushed Poole back to the bench after starting the previous 17 games. His return as the Warriors' Sixth Man summed up his season. He took only three shots in the first half, scoring two points. Pole finished the night with 27 points, scoring 12 points in the third quarter and 13 in the fourth.
The highs are that of an All-Star at 23 years old. The lows are head scratching, knowing how talented Poole is.
Though he's averaging 20.8 points per game, Poole's 144 turnovers were the most in the NBA halfway through the season. His efficiency, or lack thereof, has been eye-opening. Poole is shooting 42.8 percent from the field and 31 percent from deep. During his rough rookie year, he shot 27.9 percent on 3-pointers, which is where he has hovered recently. When Golden State sent Poole to the G League bubble in the 2020-21 season, he was shooting 42.8 percent with the Warriors and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Getting his 3-point shot close to last season's 36.4-percent clip or where it ended in 2020-21, 35.1 percent, will be huge. Poole is back in the tough position of coming off the bench but also starting games Klay Thompson or others have to sit. His offensive talent isn't in question. As someone's whose game is centered around that side of the ball, Poole playing efficient and under control will be key to the Warriors counting wins.
How Will The Roster Look?
The NBA trade deadline is now under four weeks away. The buyout market could be an option as well. Plus, the Warriors do have an open spot on their roster.
All of those factors will weigh into what the Warriors' roster for a playoff push and more looks like. The reality of the Warriors scanning the market for a trade partner feels more and more inevitable. Reports also see much more of a sellers’ market than one for buyers. Standings are congested on both sides, and with the amount of injuries in the game right now, plenty of teams have to feel like they can be contenders when it's all said and done.
Then there's the question of how much the Warriors are willing to give up, and for what in return. That question pertains to different sides of the front office, too. Owner Joe Lacob was smiling ear to ear when his team drafted James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga, dreaming of their upside. Looking at offseason decisions, it was understandable why the Warriors expected Moses Moody to make a leap and be a major player in the rotation. He outplayed Damion Lee in the playoffs, who now is a major contributor to the Suns, and was given Gary Payton II's minutes in the conference finals while GP2 was injured.
Unfortunately for the Warriors, Moody hasn't made the leap. He and rookie Patrick Baldwin Jr. were the only two players given DNPs (Did Not Play) in the Warriors' recent loss to the Suns.
Donte DiVincenzo has rounded into the player the Warriors envisioned when they signed him in free agency. However, JaMychal Green, with some reasons being out of his control, has fallen well short of expectations and his absence has put a heavy workload on the shoulders of Kevon Looney and Draymond Green.
Two-way players Anthony Lamb and Ty Jerome have been more trusted and reliable than the Warriors' young second unit. Their signings are another reason for a pat on the back to general manager Bob Myers, though how needed they are paints a bigger picture -- one that will require hard decisions. Lamb only has 17 active games left before he reaches the limit of 50. Jerome has 23 left.
The returns of Curry, Wiggins and Andre Iguodala can allow Kerr to make Lamb and Jerome inactive for some games. That's also a risky move with how much the Warriors need wins. One of the two players could earn the open roster spot. Handing both of them guaranteed roster spots would take some pretty interesting maneuvers.
Changes just might have to be made. Coming to a consensus for resolutions will be the real challenge.
Are They Able To Turn It On Enough?
As Thompson stared at the box score and tried to figure out what went wrong in the Warriors' latest loss, he admitted they probably took the Suns too lightly with Curry and others being back and the Phoenix being so depleted. The Warriors have continuously acknowledged teams bring their very best against the defending champions. Golden State has sat atop basketball's totem pole for a long, long time and the rest of the league revels whenever the Warriors fall a bit.
Yet the Warriors still play like they can turn the light on whenever they please and have enough to beat anybody. Maybe they're right. Kerr still hasn't lost a playoff series to a Western Conference team. Nobody has beat a healthy trio of Steph, Klay and Draymond.
That also is the past and a world of hypotheticals. Reality shows the Warriors as a losing team that has both future Hall of Famers and plenty of players still learning how to play the game.
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The starting five is the same as last season's. And the group has put together league-best numbers with a 128.5 offensive rating, 107.2 defense rating and a 21.3 net rating. Tuesday was the first time the Warriors were able to begin the game with Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Green and Looney all on the floor together.
A season ago, the Warriors turned to secondary players such as Lee, Payton, Otto Porter Jr., Nemanja Bjelica and Juan Toscano-Anderson. Those aren't star names, but veteran players who know the game and have been through the trudges of The Association. Poole also was more of an unknown to opposing teams.
There was a cohesiveness that isn't currently floating through the Warriors' culture. They have to find ways to keep the light on consistently as opposed to a constant flicker. Winning the West in the regular season isn’t atop the priorities list anymore. Being a top-four team would be a luxury. Ending the regular season in the top six should be seen as a must to avoid the gamble of the play-in tournament.
The Warriors still are built on Curry, Green and Thompson, with stars such as Wiggins and Poole right behind. Confidence has not been crushed.
The list of questions also is as long as ever. Identifying three is a grain of sand washing away along Ocean Beach.