Steph does not measure the words about the rocky start of the Warriors in ’20 -21 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
In two games, Steph Curry still didn’t look like the MVP contender that some imagined he would be for the Warriors with Klay Thompson out for the season. Curry has only 13 of 38 shots over the Warriors’ first two defeats, connecting in just four of his 20 attempts in the 3-point range.
Draymond Green left and with a contingent of new faces forming the rotation of the Warriors, it is understandable that Curry takes some time to freeze completely and feel comfortable after a short training camp and a long wait between games. But in answering his pressor’s final question after another loss of 20 points or more, Curry did not measure the words about the team’s mentality at 0-2.
“Yes, we need to win, immediately,” said Curry before running to catch the Warriors’ bus at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
Download and subscribe to the Dubs Talk Podcast
There is not a single problem with holding the Warriors so far in the 2020-21 season. An organization that has become known for its 3-point aim in the past decade has not been able to regain its shape, as open shots continue to resonate at the edge. Coach Steve Kerr said during the preseason that he would like to see the Warriors be one of the top 10 teams defensively, but the Warriors allowed 124 and 138 points, respectively, to start the season, albeit against two of the best teams in the NBA and former -MVPs in Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Warriors’ attack during the team’s three title races was the closest thing basketball saw to poetry in motion, and Curry emphasized that he and his teammates need to stay balanced and focused on execution.
“We just need to focus a little more,” Curry told reporters after Friday’s 138-99 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. “I think that sometimes when things don’t go your way, you lose strokes, there’s a tendency to push and push and just not think.
“The collective IQ of our group has to get a lot better when you’re not taking pictures and trying to get some easy buckets and work together to create a good look, and that will come with time.”
RELATED: What We Learned from the Warriors’ Explosive Defeat to Bucks at Christmas
There was a run in the second quarter in which Kelly Oubre Jr. dribbled the ball for more than 10 seconds before going into the basket and scoring a foul while trying to score more than three Milwaukee defenders. You can’t be sure, but it’s hard to imagine Curry and Kerr’s reactions it was not Oubre’s decision not to try to move the ball, as captured by Twitter user @protectedpick.
Draymond Green’s return should make life a lot easier for Curry and the rest of the Warriors, especially on the defensive end. But the difficult matches of Oubre and Andrew Wiggins do not bode well, as many pointed to the two Kansas products on the wing as the X-factors for how far the Warriors will go this season.
Curry is a respected leader and does not publicly call teammates by name, but he is clearly demanding a better effort on all fronts of himself and his teammates.
Normally not a very aggressive person in the post-game comments, Steph seems frustrated, but motivated to try to get the Warriors season back on track.