Warriors have a long wish list - starting with win over the Lakers
Preview: Warriors host LeBron and Lakers in battle of fading stars
The Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers are headlining a Xmas day slate of games for a good reason. There have been some epic showdowns between the Warriors and LeBron James, and though both are a bit grey around the edges, these showdowns are still some of the most riveting basketball that the NBA has to offer.
As a kid, I grew up asking for transformers and GI Joe guys for Christmas, and even now, there’s an undeniable nostalgia. It wasn’t on his list, but my teenage son will still be getting a transformer from me this year. This game feels like a re-issue of that Optimus Prime figure that I’ve always loved so much.
Interestingly, the reasons both of these teams are struggling is a bit of a microcosmos1 of some of the main reasons that NBA viewing ratings are lagging these days. While it’s always interesting to see the known superstars go head-to-head, the league has moved on. The Lakers and Warriors currently sit in the 7th and 8th seed spots, respectively, in the Western Conference. Tonight’s headlining game features the Denver Nuggets (5th) and Phoenix Suns (11th).
So go ahead and embrace the nostalgia. This should be a fun game. Maybe the league’s upper echelon has transcended where these old heroes now play, but the NBA knows who folks want to watch - most of us will happily take another LeBron vs. Curry battle. The stakes sort of set themselves when it comes to any matchup between teams led by the greatest players of their generation.
GAME DETAILS
WHO: Golden State Warriors (15-13) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (16-13)
WHEN: Wednesday December 25th, 2024; 5pm PST
WATCH: ESPN
All I want for Christmas is an offense that works
During the holidays, I find myself in a lot of “what do you think about the Warriors?” conversations. It’s helped coalesce some of the recurring answers for me, but what it comes down to the most seems to be that Klay Thompson left, and no one took his place. The offense has cratered. According to Cleaning the Glass (which excludes garbage time) this is the fourth-worst offense Golden State has ever fielded.
It’s sad in there, sorted by offensive efficiency. For a team not just with, but featuring Stephen Curry? This is a crime against nature.
In the background, there’s a story beyond Curry, of course. He didn’t hit a bucket until the final 41 seconds of the 3rd quarter in the team’s most recent loss - another dot in an unsatisfying pattern. Another game that could have gone another way but didn’t. Something (well, a lot of things) aren’t going well for this Warriors team.
This is now a little out of date, but the trends are consistent enough to draw conclusions from: the Warriors are not working right now.
Some of the elements are starting to become coherent. Jonathan Kuminga (26 points 8 rebounds, 4 assists), Andrew Wiggins (16 points) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists) have been helping.
And the Warriors weren’t that far off in the last game. Though Turner threw the dagger three, it felt far from inevitable. They were down 106-104 with 1:42 minutes remaining in the fourth, and it was another frustratingly predictable cold streak that stalled them out and prevented them from getting any closer.
Most of the clicks on articles these days would indicate that the most interesting answer is some sort of big trade. The Warriors have begun to see their names attached with increasing frequency around some of the trade chatter, but any big move would be complicated at this point.
Someone on Reddit recently posted this quote from Juan Toscano-Anderson and I don’t know if it is the nostalgia or the lack of winning that has me so deeply aligned with this message, but there’s definitely something here.
"Klay, Dray, & Steph are like lemonade. You gotta have sugar, water, & lemons for it to be lemonade. If you don’t have one or the other, it ain’t gonna be lemonade, it ain’t gonna work the same. They just all complement each other so well that they’re not the same w/out one another.”
Much like Christmas magic, there was always something ephemeral about the Warriors dynasty. We were fortunate to have from row seats to an alignment of planets that simply couldn’t last forever.
The dream isn’t dead, it’s just becoming increasingly less likely to be realized. The next generation of Warriors stars could well be here, struggling to find their place, shining occasionally like these last couple of games from Kuminga, or an increasingly reliable Wiggins becoming a new backbone for a team desperately searching for stability.
And that’s why so many will tune into tonight’s game. There aren’t a whole lot of these battles left. And even though it doesn’t seem like there are all that many answers left for Golden State, there’s certainly hope. At one point it was delusional to think that Curry would carry this franchise to a championship. I know I’m not alone in remembering the office hallway derision that came with seeing something in a young Kevon Looney.
The Warriors have so many needs offensively, that there are all sorts of paths to improvement. What can’t happen is: nothing. Curry running into Box-1 defenses over and over again is frustrating for everyone.
It doesn’t feel like too much to ask. Progress isn’t linear.
Kuminga has been the focal point of a lot of the internal improvement efforts - and the current record is a good reflection of how mixed the results have been. But what if? There have been flashes of greatness, and perhaps the more recent success is a signal of more to come?
“He was probably the best player out there in the sense of attacking [and] being decisive,” Curry said. “He was getting downhill, putting pressure on the rim, doing the things that only he can do.
“We love energetic, confident JK. He can change the game for us like he did.”
The Warriors are already a great team. They’ve accomplished more than anyone ever expected, and could easily coast across the finish line and retire into the sunset as some of the greatest to have ever played. But there’s a chance they aren’t done yet - and that’s what keep us all watching.
Prediction
Santa will be kind to Dub Nation this year, and Curry and the Warriors will manage to pull off an emotional victory over an old adversary. Also, your meal will be delicious, and company warm.
On behalf of DNHQ, we want to wish you and yours a fantastic holiday season.
Microcosmos, great movie - but I’m not sure that it’s actually a word.
Post game thread up. Incredible finish. JK needed to trap the box on that last play. On to the next one…
Welp... I didn't get my xmas wish.
Great game tho