The Golden State Warriors suffered a gut-wrenching defeat on Christmas Day at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers, despite a vintage Stephen Curry performance complete with several clutch buckets down the stretch. As always, Lakers-Warriors delivered for NBA fans, as LeBron James and Curry are still the league’s most thrilling show even in the twilight of their careers.
Unfortunately for the Dubs, Curry’s late-game flurry to tie the score at 113 proved worthless when Austin Reaves beat Andrew Wiggins for a crafty layup with a second left to send Golden State to their eleventh loss in fourteen games. This spiral has landed Steve Kerr’s bunch in the tenth seed in the West, just a half game up on the Spurs for play-in positioning.
Warriors Hit Rock Bottom After Heartbreaking Christmas Day Loss
How Did The Warriors Get Here?
Simply put, Golden State’s 3-11 slide since their raging hot start is less of an anomaly than the 12-3 burst they got off to, considering their roster. The Warriors have an incredibly deep group of players who are all rock-solid rotation guys. They have several great defensive players, a few knockdown shooters, and a ton of athletic guards and forwards who make them a very difficult team to play against.
However, the Warriors are never going to compete with the upper tier of the Western Conference if they don’t add more scoring punch to help Curry. Currently, Golden State lacks a true second option who can reliably give them 20 points on a nightly basis. Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield, and others show flashes of high-level scoring. However, it is too inconsistent and allows opponents to focus all of their defensive resources on Curry, forcing others to beat them.
At one time, the legendary guard was able to overcome brutal defensive coverages and still carry the Dubs, but he is approaching his 37th birthday and just doesn’t have the same motor for 82 games. This season is reminiscent of the 2020-21 team, where a prime Curry averaged 32 points a game and carried an undermanned roster to relevance. But even then, Golden State fell in the play-in tournament.
The Warriors have other roster makeup issues, such as their lack of spacing anytime Draymond Green plays the four to add size with a real center. However, if they have one big move in them, it should be to add an elite scorer to remove Curry’s burden.
Golden State Should Be Aggressive At The Deadline
New CBA Makes Trading Harder Than Ever, But GS Owes It To Steph
Similar to the Lakers, the Warriors front office has been very hesitant to part with ascending young players and/or draft picks to swing a huge deal and make them true championship contenders. Famously, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and co. opted to hang onto assets like Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski instead of moving them for Lauri Markkanen last summer.
Unfortunately, after such a rough start, Podziemski’s value has decreased significantly, making it harder for the Warriors to make a deal at the deadline. Nevertheless, if they are going to keep Curry until he retires, they owe him the chance to play in big games again while he is still a superstar (which he indisputably is). Their “Two Timelines” approach failed, and now is the time to pivot and improve their current team.
Zach LaVine, Jimmy Butler, and Brandon Ingram
Early on Christmas Day, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler prefers to be traded from Miami prior to the deadline. Butler may have several suitors, including the Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, and several others. Even so, Golden State should be involved in trade talks as soon as possible. Butler provides both the secondary scoring that GS so desperately needs, but is also a proven winner who would fit well in the Warriors’ winning culture.
Six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler prefers a trade out of Miami ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline, league sources told ESPN.
Story: https://t.co/vltEwoIiEA
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 25, 2024
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Zach LaVine and the Bulls have been destined for a divorce for several years now. It finally appears that both sides will move on from each other, as Chicago is entering a rebuild around young players. But, the UCLA product is having his best season in a half-decade, averaging nearly 22 points a game on terrific efficiency. The knock on LaVine has always been his lack of commitment to winning, his defense, and his health, but he is a special offensive talent who could blossom in the right situation.
Lastly, Brandon Ingram looks like the odd man out in New Orleans due to their crowded ball-handling core and his impending free agency. Adding Ingram should be lower on Dunleavy’s priority list because Ingram’s ball-dominant play style clashes with their ball/player movement offense. Still, he remains an option to help relieve stress on Curry.
All three of these deals will likely involve one or both of Wiggins and Kuminga, among other assets. But, if Golden State wants to compete this season, they have to be ready to make tough decisions.
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