Like last season, Golden State has had a mixed start to the season. After six interesting first matches, Steve Kerr’s men fell back into their ways. They have been hovering in balance for two months and are currently stuck in eighth place in their conference.
The Warriors, however, have not been spoiled by the NBA. Stephen Curry’s partners were thus the only ones to have reached the mark of 20 matches played away at the end of the calendar year, for a record of 8 victories for 12 defeats. Their calendar, however, adjusts in January. They will play 11 of their 16 games at Chase Center, including eight in a row between January 7 and 20.
It’s now or never to string together victories and get back into the top 6 of the Western Conference. Steve Kerr knows this.
“It’s a big, big opportunity. Our first twenty games were difficult, with a lot of travel, but the opposite will be true in January”he confirms. “We’ve been playing better for two weeks, we’re more consistent, and with home games looming, we want to continue our momentum and use this period as a springboard. »
Beware of sufficiency
The Warriors currently have a record of 10 wins and 5 losses at home. They therefore win two thirds of their matches on their floor. They will be favorites in 8 of their 11 meetings at Chase Center (Jazz, Bucks, Kings, Hawks, Blazers, Hornets, Heat, Raptors), but Steve Kerr refuses to project himself.
“We will take the matches one after the other”explained the coach seriously before the match against the Thunder, aware that his players are used to putting themselves on the level of their opponents. “No matter the opponent, we will have to play seriously. »
Another big moment for Golden State will come in mid-January. From January 15, they will be able to officially transfer Jonathan Kuminga, who was injured before the match against the Thunder. The Congolese, out of the rotation since December 7, should undoubtedly end the season elsewhere. The identity of the player recovered in exchange could also change the trajectory of this end of the season.
At the end of the month, we will know if the Warriors can hope for anything this season…
Comments collected in San Francisco.
| Shots | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | To | Pd | Bp | Int | Ct | Fte | Pts |
| Stephen Curry | 25 | 31:58 | 46.8 | 39.4 | 92.3 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 3.1 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 28.7 |
| Jimmy Butler Iii | 30 | 31:34 | 51.6 | 41.0 | 86.3 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 5.6 | 4.9 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 19.7 |
| Brandin Pod Ziemia | 34 | 27:26 | 46.6 | 40.9 | 77.0 | 0.7 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 3.2 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 2.1 | 12.5 |
| Jonathan Kuminga | 18 | 24:47 | 43.1 | 32.0 | 74.1 | 1.6 | 4.6 | 6.2 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 11.8 |
| Moses Moody | 32 | 24:38 | 40.6 | 37.3 | 82.8 | 0.9 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 10.8 |
| Draymond Green | 28 | 27:15 | 42.2 | 33.9 | 64.9 | 0.8 | 5.2 | 6.0 | 5.3 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 3.4 | 8.5 |
| Will Richard | 29 | 19:19 | 53.2 | 38.9 | 80.0 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 2.1 | 8.0 |
| De’anthony Melton | 10 | 19:24 | 32.9 | 16.7 | 80.8 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 7.7 |
| Quinten Post | 34 | 18:12 | 42.4 | 34.0 | 80.0 | 1.0 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 7.7 |
| Buddy Hield | 31 | 17:35 | 42.2 | 32.3 | 94.4 | 0.6 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 7.5 |
| Seth Curry | 2 | 16:00 | 66.7 | 50.0 | 0 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 7.0 |
| Pat Spencer | 23 | 14:52 | 42.5 | 38.5 | 87.5 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 6.5 |
| Al Horford | 16 | 20:04 | 36.7 | 33.3 | 100.0 | 0.9 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 6.4 |
| Trayce Jackson-davis | 23 | 12:57 | 62.0 | 0 | 60.6 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 3.7 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 4.7 |
| Gary Payton Ii | 32 | 11:49 | 52.6 | 30.6 | 55.6 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 4.3 |
| Gui Santos | 25 | 9:53 | 45.6 | 34.9 | 68.8 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 3.5 |
Worth a look
