122 Points Without Curry Wasn't the Problem. Giving Up 131 Was.
Golden State scored enough in Phoenix with its stars in street clothes, so the 0-3 start is a defensive and frontcourt problem before it is a talent problem.
The Warriors lost 131-122 at Phoenix on the second night of a back-to-back, with Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski and Al Horford out. The offense held up; the defense and the minutes behind the starters did not.
What did the offense actually do?
It scored. Golden State put up 122 without its best shooter, and the shot profile was respectable: Yaxel Lendeborg hit four of eight from three with nine rebounds and four assists, De'Anthony Melton made seven of 11 for 20 points, and Brandon Williams added 18 on 8-of-11 free throws. This is the spacing Kerr wants, found by the players left over. A team that scores 122 on the road in a back-to-back is not broken on that end.
Where did the game go?
To the other side. Devin Booker shot 14 of 20, and Collin Gillespie came off the bench for eight assists and a plus-12. Phoenix did not need a heroic night from anyone else. Jalen Green, Miles Bridges and Dillon Brooks all scored without much trouble. Last season's Warriors were 16th in defense, and with Draymond Green out and Horford out, nobody was left to organize the back line.
Who earns a grade?
Melton gets a B-plus: the 20 points were efficient, but he finished minus-10 in 22 minutes and had three turnovers. Williams gets a B: 18 points and two steals in 20 minutes, a plus-3, with only 4-of-9 shooting from the field. Graham Ike gets a C: eight rebounds, but 4 of 11 from the floor and a minus-9. Gui Santos was minus-13 in 23 minutes and shot 1 of 4. Charles Bassey was the quiet bright spot, 4-for-4 in 13 minutes with seven rebounds and two blocks. Georges Niang's plus-5 was the team's best mark.
What does 0-3 change?
The seed reads 15th, but the gap is small: 2.5 games to sixth, 1.5 to Phoenix in tenth. The next five games include Denver, Minnesota, the Lakers and the Clippers, and Curry, Podziemski, Green and Horford all carry an estimated return of October 26. That is the fix to watch. Lineups with Curry, Butler, Green, Kuminga and Podziemski posted a plus-16.9 net rating in 65 minutes. Get that group back healthy and the defense gets its anchor. Until then, the Warriors are losing games they can score in, and that is a smaller hole than it looks.
What was the score of the Warriors-Suns game?
Phoenix won 131-122 on October 24, dropping Golden State to 0-3.
Who played for the Warriors against the Suns?
Curry, Podziemski and Horford were out, and Green was listed out as well. Lendeborg, Melton and Williams led the scoring.
