Many factors determine whether or not a basketball team can pull off a victory: star stat lines, offensive and defensive execution, perhaps turnovers. But possibly the most overlooked one is free throws.
For what are supposed to be the easiest points in basketball, the Warriors have struggled to capitalize on their trips to the charity stripe.
Free Throw Shooting Dip
In a narrow race for a playoff spot in the West, each game is crucial for the Warriors. Without Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, the team’s margin for error has drastically shrunk.
Since Butler went down, Golden State is shooting 75.2% from the foul line. Before January 19 (when Butler tore his ACL), that number was at 82%. Curry’s absence in many of the games following Butler’s injury has also contributed to their free-throw woes. Without the team’s two best free-throw shooters (on a minimum of at least two attempts per game), the Warriors have fallen off in that department.
Golden State is a team that often beats itself up with costly errors and careless mistakes; leaving easy points on the table can’t be an option. Down the stretch of close games, those points may just be the difference between a win and a loss.
As a team ranked 27th in free throw attempts, the Dubs don’t get many chances to head to the line, making each opportunity to shoot a foul shot that much more important.
Free Throws Have Already Cost the Warriors
The Warriors’ fatal flaw has already presented itself in the last several weeks of games. Take Saturday night in Oklahoma City, for instance. The undermanned Warriors fought back from a 14-point deficit against the defending champs, but ran out of firepower to complete the comeback. The team missed seven free throws and lost by seven points.
In Salt Lake City two nights later, free-throw issues were on display all over again. Golden State entered the fourth down by seven, but went on to miss six free throws in the final quarter. The Warriors were all knotted up with the tanking Jazz with 33 seconds to go, but couldn’t close it out. The team could have survived their lowly 30.8% shooting night from beyond the arc had they connected on those freebies.
Brandin Podziemski struggled at the line towards the end of the game. The third-year guard took four foul shots in the fourth quarter, missing all of them.
To make matters worse, when the Warriors fail to hit those shots, other teams seize the moment.
Golden State was up eight with 1:31 remaining against the Bulls, but they vaporized their lead with poor late-game execution. Matas Buzelis was fouled on a three with 47.5 seconds to go, and the Dubs up five. Buzelis went two of three from the line, bringing the game within one possession.
L.J Cryer split a pair of free throws, giving life to the Bulls. Draymond Green then fouled Jalen Smith, who nailed both free throws to send the game into overtime. The Warriors missed just two free throws, but, unfortunately, those misses came back to bite them as they lost in overtime.
Free Throws Matter
A team never knows right from tip-off whether or not a game will come down to a few points. Free throws aren’t the glitz and glamour of NBA highlights, but they are a huge swing factor in deciding games.
There’s no guarantee connecting on those shots will ensure a win or prevent a close game. But they act as extra insurance for when games get tight, offering cushion and breathing room to compensate for mistakes.
The Warriors don’t have to play stellar to make the playoffs. If they do the simple stuff right, they’ll always give themselves a chance. And for a team that is fighting to stay afloat in playoff contention, their postseason hopes could very well hinge on their ability to make free throws.
Leave a comment