Golden State Warriors were among the favorites in the Western Conference of the NBA and were pitted against Denver Nuggets on 4 th of December 2024 and were defeated by 119-115 as per ESPN. This latest loss raises critical questions about the team’s direction: What steps and adjustments must the Warriors undergo in order to get back to winning ways?Â
The game out there was a decent contest, especially with Stephen Curry with Denver’s Nikola Jokic. Jokic was the most efficient player for the Nuggets, with 38 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals, while Curry provided the most points for The Warriors with 24 points, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds as per ESPN. Golden State Warriors were leading by six points from Andy and were ready to lock up the game until Denver started a 21-6 run in the last two minutes and 30 seconds to tie the game, forcing them to go to overtime. This is a much more fundamental issue within the team and how it goes about addressing the need to close out games.
Reviewing the Present Condition
Despite the two injuries, the team’s decline has raised questions on the bench, particularly with Steve Kerr as the head coach. They started the season in good form at 12-3, but they now stand at 12-8 and people are questioning their hopes of making the playoffs. They have suffered badly because of the loss of rebounder and shot blocker Draymond Green, who has a calf injury. Kerr admitted that when it comes to execution and turnovers, they have been magnified in recent defeats, which is why better decision-making is needed.
Curry remains an MVP but he lacks teammates who can always back him up. The Warriors know that some of their big players such as Klay Thompson and Chris Paul have left or failed to perform at their best, thus this has left Curry with a comparatively inexperienced team. There is no question that Curry is a star for the Warriors, but will the team be able to take that next step of developing champions around him?
It’s still the first round for the Warriors, but the team needs to come up with solutions for these challenges when facing the Houston Rockets. That means they should aim to improve their defense and organizational attack if they are to improve their performance and secure a place in the playoffs.
All in all, the Golden State Warriors are at a big historical crossroads. After five consecutive losses, they are facing a number of threats within and outside the field as they begin the journey of trying to become championship contenders again.
