The 2023-24 NBA regular season has been a bumpy one for the Golden State Warriors. They have yet to find their stride, as a loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night dropped their record to 10-13 on the season.
A big reason for the Warriors’ struggles has been the constant shuffling of the rotation. Head coach Steve Kerr has needed to adjust his lineups on a nearly nightly basis whether it be for an injury to a key player or Draymond Green being ejected.
Tuesday was the third time that Green was ejected this season and he could be facing another suspension for hitting Suns’ center Jusuf Nurkic in the face. Green apologized after the game, saying he didn’t mean to hit him as he was attempting to sell a call, but his reputation precedes him. It would not be shocking if he was issued another suspension, with his first coming as a result of him putting Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves in a chokehold.
That could be another lineup change for Kerr, who is already without Gary Payton II because of a calf injury. But, a forced shake-up of the lineup may not be the worst thing for the Warriors, who have yet to find lineup combinations that work.
Just how bad have things gotten for Golden State this season? Their starting lineup of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Green and Kevon Looney is one that in the past was truly dominant. They rode that grouping to arguably the most impressive championship run of this era just two seasons ago.
However, that grouping has not been a productive one for Kerr this season. As shared by Zach Harper of The Athletic, that five-man group has a net rating of -10.2 entering play on Tuesday. Shockingly, that is worse than the five-man group the Detroit Pistons use the most.
Killian Hayes, Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren have a net rating of -10.1. The Pistons are also approaching history as they are in the midst of a 20-game losing streak.
Curry is continuing to play at a high level, but he isn’t getting much support from his teammates. Wiggins and Thompson have both seen their production drop off and Green looks like a shell of himself whenever he isn’t getting ejected from games.
That is a truly eye-popping stat and goes to show just how bad things have been for the Warriors this season. Something has to change, whether it be a shake-up in the lineup or trade, as the roster as currently constructed is heading in the wrong direction.
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