Late-Game Magic Still Eluding Warriors After Close Loss to Lakers

When it rains, it often pours. That’s certainly the case for the Warriors, who suffered a brutal loss to the Lakers on Christmas Day and added yet another tough defeat to their seemingly snakebitten season. After winning 12 of their first 15, they now have dropped 11 of 14 with no end in sight.

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The team has completely lost their rhythm, and that dysfunction came up again against Los Angeles. While the Warriors mounted a late comeback thanks to Stephen Curry’s usual heroics, the Lakers put Golden State away on an Austin Reaves layup that sealed the deal.

The loss further exemplified a glaring issue the team has had over the past month: they are good enough to compete but not good enough to win. While they can stay in games down the stretch, they routinely stop short of the finish line.

That issue first popped up when the Warriors tried new lineups after losing De’Anthony Melton to injury, but it’s becoming a bigger and bigger problem with each passing week. They’re now at the very edge of the playoff picture holding on for dear life.

Talking It Out

There are several reasons the Lakers loss hurts so badly, but one of the biggest is that the players were hoping to use the contest as a turn-around game. They even held a player-led meeting before the contest as a way to get everyone on the same page.

Curry, as expected, was the leader of the conversation. He wanted to get things back on track, and explain to the younger players the best ways to work together.

“It’s been tough trying to find any type of momentum or consistency,” the three-shooter said in an interview. “You just can’t lose spirit, belief that we’re a good enough team to figure it out. Because this league is ruthless…You dig yourself a hole, like, it can be hard to pull out of.”

The Warriors certainly know that last point from experience, and their hole just keeps getting deeper. Every loss sinks them a little bit more, which is something felt by everyone in the organization.

Schroder’s Slump

There’s plenty of blame to go around in Golden State. While everyone is doing their best to stay upbeat, everyone’s aware of the situation. The Western Conference is extremely competitive, and the playoff race is heating up. Teams are only going to get better as the year progresses.

The Warriors understand that, which is why they brought in veteran guard Dennis Schroder to help their front court. Unfortunately, as with so many other aspects of their season, he hasn’t worked out quite yet.

The quick scorer is still adjusting to his new role on the team and has yet to find his rhythm. After having one of the best years of his career with Brooklyn, Schroder has only put up double digit points once with the Warriors, and it came on 3-of-10 shooting.

Still, he likes his current situation and is optimistic about fitting in as the year goes on.

“Steve Kerr is one of the best coaches,” Schroder said when speaking of his new team. “For him to believe in me like that, everybody in the organization telling me,’You kicked our ass the last couple of years.’ Of course, that is great.”

That optimism is great, but talk is cheap compared to on-court play. Golden State is going to need Schroder to produce a bit more if they plan on keeping him around into February.

Win-Now Mode

There is a chance Schroder figures out how to gel with the new offense, but the Warriors don’t have the luxury of time. Even with a lot of games left, the more losses that pile up, the more difficult it will be for them to right the ship in the coming months.

Curry and Draymond are both getting older, and it seems their window is closing on a fifth ring. If they want to make a run this year, it’s going to have to start soon.

It all starts with consistency, which is something the team has lacked during their recent slump. Kerr shoulders a lot of that blame with his constant lineup switching, and hopes that once there’s more stability it will lead to more wins.

“I’ve had a million different starting lineups,” he stated. “Guys are in and out of rotations. I’m well aware of that, and it’s hard as a player to not know how many minutes you’re going to get, what minutes you’re going to get. The reality is we’re searching…We have a lot of guys who can play.”

The Warriors aren’t on the same page yet, but they need to get there soon. Everyone in the building feels they can win, but belief is starting to wane. If it does, there’s a chance they might not bounce back.

“We’re down,” said head coach Steve Kerr. “Everybody’s disappointed. We’ve lost some confidence. You can feel it. We had a great vibe early in the season, and we’re going through it right now.”

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