Jed Jacobsohn/Associated Press
Jed Jacobsohn/Associated Press
Jed Jacobsohn/Associated Press
Two and a half months earlier, the Golden State Warriors made a splashy statement in Boston. They impressively outlasted the Celtics to reach 7-1 on the season, validating their torrid start and suggesting they might have surrounded Stephen Curry with sufficient help this season.
And now, after Monday’s polar-opposite performance: Not so much.
If the Celtics count as a high-aspiration barometer – where the Warriors stood in the NBA galaxy in early November, and where they stand in late January – head coach Steve Kerr’s crew is in trouble. Golden State was jarringly uncompetitive Monday, falling 125-85 in an outcome that felt inevitable after the final four minutes of the first quarter.
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This loss – the franchise’s most lopsided at home in 40 years – came on the same day the Warriors announced forward Draymond Green will miss at least one week (and probably more) with a strained left calf. Green’s absence comes at a difficult time, with his team already missing Jonathan Kuminga and trying to gain traction during a stretch of nine consecutive games in Northern California, including eight in San Francisco.
“It’s incredibly significant for our season,” Curry said of the span covering nearly three weeks without stepping on an airplane. “Just the idea that we can keep ourselves afloat until we get some guys back, that can kind of make or break our season, to be honest.”
The Celtics offer an interesting way to measure the Warriors. Less than three years ago, with Boston as a rising power struggling to get over the hump, Curry carried the Warriors to their fourth NBA championship in eight seasons. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown trudged off their home court in June 2022, awash in frustration, as Curry triumphantly pointed at his ring finger.
Now the Celtics (30-13) strut around as the reigning champs, trying to become the first team to repeat since Golden State in 2018. And the Warriors (21-21) find themselves adrift, unable to generate any momentum, clinging to hope they can simply reach the playoffs much less make another title run.
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Narrow the focus for a moment and flash back to Nov. 6 at TD Garden. Curry scored 27 points and added nine assists. Andrew Wiggins and Buddy Hield (16 points each) supplied secondary scoring. Green did his all-around thing. Kuminga and Kyle Anderson helped off the bench.
Now jump ahead to Jan. 20 at Chase Center. Curry looked like a one-man act, hopelessly paddling upstream. Wiggins and Hield both were non-factors. Green, Kuminga and Anderson all sat out nursing injuries.
Curry managed 18 points, matching the total of Golden State’s other four starters combined. Wiggins has been really good recently, and Dennis Schröder has dropped hints of returning to his pre-trade form with Brooklyn, but they combined to shoot only 4-for-19 on Monday. They were all but invisible.
The Warriors need Wiggins and Schröder to consistently and reliably produce, especially with so many of their teammates sidelined. They have the track record and experience, the two-way skills to shape the game on both offense and defense.
But when they don’t make an impact, as was the case against Boston, the burden falls squarely on No. 30.
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Curry is fighting through a variety of physical issues as he approaches his 37th birthday in March. He repeatedly shook his taped-up right thumb during Monday’s game, clearly uncomfortable. He sprained his ankle less than 48 hours earlier, though he seemed to move well. He’s had knee soreness all season.
And more than once in recent weeks – from Dec. 30 against Cleveland and Jan. 5 against Sacramento to Jan. 7 against Miami and Monday against the Celtics – Curry has found himself trying to explain a decisive, demoralizing defeat.
“I thought we came out with pretty good life and energy,” he said. “A big part of our season has been when we can’t score we lose spirit, we lose life, we lose competitiveness. You can get away with it against some teams, but it’s not a good formula for success against the defending champs.”
The Warriors don’t have many ways to score when their outside shots aren’t dropping; they miss Kuminga’s dynamic drives to the basket, to put it mildly. Their over-reliance on 3-point shooting also serves as a reminder of how complete they were in 2015-19 – able to lean on mid-range jumpers from Klay Thompson or Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala cutting to the hoop, Kevin Durant creating a late-clock look.
Those Warriors were a team for the ages. These Warriors are a flawed .500 squad with one player for the ages, treading water and trying to stay in the hunt while Green and Kuminga (plus Anderson and Brandin Podziemski) recuperate.
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Safe to say, that November win in Boston feels like a long, long time ago.
Reach Ron Kroichick: [email protected]; X: @ronkroichick
