The Golden State Warriors’ offensive rating of 111.3 this season ranks them 20th in the NBA.
Over the past 15 games, the Warriors’ offense has been 24th in the league with a 109.1 offensive rating. During this stretch, they went 6-9 and have dropped to tenth in the West.
Steph Needs Help
This season, Stephen Curry is averaging 22.9 points per game, his fewest since the 2012-13 season. Despite the scoring decrease, Curry is still a +12.7 in efficiency differential and a +17.2 in points scored per 100 possessions when on the court.
At 36 years old, Curry has still proven that he is the offense’s engine, but he desperately needs help.
Lack of Identity
Establishing an elite defense and turning that into early offense has been the formula for the Dubs’ success over the years. Especially while lacking a true second option, the Warriors needed to possess a better transition offense this season.
The Dubs rank 14th in the NBA in pace at 99.6 and 13th in transition offense, averaging 23.7 points per game. While these numbers aren’t horrid, they aren’t quite good enough when factoring in their personnel. Without a true No. 2 scorer on the roster, the Dubs have had major struggles with their half-court offense and should look to play quicker to resolve some of their offensive limitations.
A prime example of their offensive struggles occurred in the Emirates NBA Cup Quarterfinal Round. The stakes were high, as the winner punched their tickets to Vegas to compete for the NBA Cup. The Warriors committed six shot-clock violations in this game, two of which occurred within the final three minutes.
When the game slows down, and multiple bodies are swarming at Curry, the Warriors don’t have enough players capable of consistently creating high-percentage looks at the basket.
The Decline of Buddy Hield
The Warriors started the season 12-3 and were at the top of the Western Conference, largely due to Buddy Hield’s ascendance.
Hield was signed this offseason to replace some of the lost shooting when Klay Thompson decided to leave the Bay for the Dallas Mavericks. Since 2020-2021, Hield has made the second most three-pointers in the NBA behind Curry and was viewed as a seamless fit within the Warriors offense.
During this 12-3 stretch, Hield averaged 16.2 points on 47.3/44.2/88.9 splits. Since then, Hield has averaged 10.2 points per game on 37.9/33.3/93.3 splits. The Warriors are 16-8 when Hield scores 10+ points this season.
Lack of a Second Option
Golden State’s biggest priority this offseason was acquiring a star player alongside Curry. Although they were in the Paul George and Lauri Markkanen sweepstakes, they weren’t willing to part ways with their young core and future draft capital.
The Warriors depended on Jonathan Kuminga’s development and believed that Andrew Wiggins could slide into that No. 2 scoring option. Wiggins is averaging 16.8 points per game on 45.1/39.0/79.2 splits. These are solid numbers but don’t fit the part of a second option.
Averaging 16.8 points per game on 45.9/34.5/63.9 splits, Jonathan Kuminga has had an up-and-down season. Being in and out of the starting lineup and not really having a stable role within the rotation, Kuminga did not quite take the Year 4 leap that the Warriors expected.
Again, not a number 2 option.
The trade for Dennis Schröder was supposed to alleviate some of Curry’s ball-handling duties and provide the Dubs with another capable scorer. The Schröder experiment in Golden State hasn’t yet worked as the Warriors hoped. During his first 15 games with the team, Schröder has averaged 10.2 points per game on 34.6/27.4/77.8 shooting splits.
Schröder’s game — being a primary pick-and-roll player throughout his career and playing in a motion offense where the ball constantly moves — has made it difficult for him to adjust to the system so far.
The Golden State Warriors are 20-20 and are nearing the season’s midway point. It is paramount that the team’s supporting cast can improve their level of play — so that this team can find its identity on the offensive side of the ball — in hopes of making a playoff push.
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