Kendra AndrewsESPN
MINEAPOLIS – After ordering their worst period of the season in February, the Golden State Warriors were looking to turn the page when they left the All Star holiday and the calendar turned to March.
But instead it was more the same – perhaps even worse – as they allowed the Minnesota Timberwolves to score the most points from an opponent this season on their way to a 129-114 loss.
The Warriors have lost three of their last four games and are just halfway ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies for second place in the Western Conference standings.
But unlike the Warriors’ other two losses – the Denver Nuggets and the Dallas Mavericks – their loss to the Timberwolves lacked every bit of cohesion and struggle.
“It was the first time I felt there was a breakdown in our relationship and that should be the exception rather than the rule,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr. “So that’s the most important thing for me to look forward to.”
After reviewing the Warriors’ game against Denver and Dallas, Kerr said he liked the way his team played until the fourth quarter of both games.
According to him, the defense was good, but the most important thing is that Golden State plays with the energy that helps them develop. But all this was missing in Minneapolis on Tuesday.
“[I saw it] everywhere, “Kerr said of how the lack of connectivity manifested itself against the Timberwolves.” It’s not just a tangible thing, it’s just a feeling and energy – a collective spirit. I didn’t like the energy or the spirit tonight. “
While Kerr says his team’s disunity is not a tangible, black-and-white concept, Stephen Curry, who led the Warriors by 34 points, believes a very real thing can be traced.
“We have a lot of different rotations and lineups and we’re trying to make adjustments on the go,” Curry said. “We need to be more in sync as a team of five.
The Warriors have been without Draymond Green for 24 games, including the 7 seconds he played on Jan. 9 when Clay Thompson returned. Thompson, meanwhile, has not been a regular player for the Warriors due to the limited minutes and lack of play at one end of consecutive games. Andre Iguodala has missed 15 of his last sixteen games.
Moses Moody, who started on Thompson’s place on Tuesday, left the game in the second quarter due to a left eye injury, which Kerr said was “swollen closed”.
This led to a liquid starting lineup and rotation, forbidding the Warriors from building any real chemistry. It also left them without two of the players with the highest IQ.
“We had a lot of stirring,” Curry said. “This is not an excuse for the way we play, but we are built as a full team. And until we achieve that, I’m not sure we’ll see our full ceiling, but we need to do the little things in the meantime to continue to build trust. “
Thompson, who missed the last two games due to a general illness, is expected to rejoin the Dallas team and may be active against the Mavericks on Thursday.
Green will also join the team, although there is still no schedule for his return from a back injury. Iguodala is already with the team, but is not expected to play.
The Warriors are trying to take a big picture approach as they try to get out of their funk. They are trying to see the silver line of their young players, such as Jonathan Cumming and Moody, to get more playing time. They highlight the work Kevan Looney has done as the only truly great man available to them. They know the season is long.
“I’m just trying to be patient about where we are this season and what we’re trying to do in a month and a half,” Curry said.
“We just have to make sure that when we have a night like tonight, in which we scatter a little, we have to work to get back to the home base and remember what the goal is,” Kerr said.
But the space for mistakes is shrinking quickly and the Warriors realize that this is the section that should prepare them for their playoff series. So, adjustments need to be made now and they can’t wait to solve all their problems until they get a complete list.