In a robust candidate for worst team-wide efficiency of the NBA season, the Warriors had been crushed by 51 factors in Memphis on Thursday night time, getting subsequent to nothing offensively from their veterans and giving zero resistance defensively in a 144-93 loss to the Grizzlies.
Each of Steph Curry’s factors got here from the free-throw line. He was in any other case scoreless, lacking all seven of his pictures in 24 of the least productive minutes of his profession. He hadn’t scored two or fewer in a recreation since 2018. He’s by no means did not make a discipline aim in a regular-season recreation, previous to Thursday night time, when logging at the very least 12 minutes.
It was the fourth-worst loss in franchise historical past for the Warriors, however they’ve had a worse one lately. The Celtics beat them by 52 factors in Boston final March.
Thursday’s full no-show from the Warriors got here at a very stunning time. They had been rested — having performed just one recreation within the earlier seven days — and introducing a extremely touted reinforcement that had the group buzzing in latest days. The Warriors traded for Dennis Schröder over the weekend, believing the 18-point per recreation scoring guard may enhance their struggling offense.
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Steve Kerr began Schröder subsequent to Curry in his debut. He went a woeful 1 for 9 taking pictures within the first half and completed 2 for 12. Mixed with Curry, the beginning backcourt missed all 10 of their 3s. Schröder’s 5 factors had been fewer than all however one among his 23 video games for the Brooklyn Nets. He additionally had 4 of the staff’s 17 turnovers.
Draymond Inexperienced’s minutes additionally weren’t of a lot assist. Kerr inserted him again into the beginning lineup forward of Jonathan Kuminga, who had began the earlier six video games, as a result of he wished to reestablish a defensive id after the Mavericks put up 143 factors on them Sunday. Inexperienced was ineffective early, committing 4 first-half fouls in 10 minutes. He went scoreless, had 4 turnovers and the Warriors misplaced his 19 minutes by 42 factors.
The Warriors protection, which spent a lot of the early season ranked second in defensive ranking behind solely the Thunder, has now given up 287 mixed factors the final two video games. They’ve dropped to seventh in defensive ranking and proceed to tumble down the Western Convention standings. After a 12-3 begin, they’re 2-9 of their final 11 video games and presently sit tenth at 14-12 with a giant street recreation in Minnesota on Saturday night time.
“I do know we’re going to bounce again,” Kerr instructed reporters in Memphis. “I’m not involved about that. However we’ve acquired loads to work to do to execute and learn to execute underneath stress and maintain the ball and get good pictures.”
(Photograph of Dennis Schröder and Steph Curry: Justin Ford/Getty Photos)
