The Warriors headed into Sunday’s homestand not just bent on taking revenge against the Lakers, who had bested them on Christmas Day. More importantly, they were looking at moving up in standings; they had been playing middling hoops since the turn of the year, and a win — especially without vital cog Draymond Green — would signal a turn for the better. Mediocrity had marked their 2024-25 campaign to date, so arguing that victory was needed would be understating the obvious.
As things turned out, the Warriors had nowhere near enough to keep pace with the Lakers. Green’s continued absence due to a lingering calf strain told on their capacity to compete on both ends of the court. So out of sorts were they sans his playmaking on offense and direction in defense that they could not pass even a simple eye test. And apart from a spirited first quarter, they were compelled to stare at the backsides of their longtime rivals. To the chagrin of the 18,064-strong capacity crowd at Chase Center, they failed to so much as get a sniff of the lead in the second half.
In the aftermath of the loss, the Warriors are left to wonder how to salvage the rest of their season. On one hand, they remain hopeful of their chances; considering how bunched up protagonists are in the highly competitive West, even a modest run will enable them to jump up a handful of spots in their quest for an outright playoff spot. On the other, they understand their frailties; they’re so short on talent that they need to give the likes of Gui Santos and Quinten Post significant burn.
Which is too bad, really, because surefire Hall of Famer Curry deserves better. Even as he just earned his franchise-record 11th All-Star berth, it’s fair to note that he doesn’t have a lot left in the tank. Last night, for instance, he missed all eight of his second-half shots en route to a four-of-17 outing. The good news is that the Warriors continue to be on the prowl for warm bodies that can help ease his load. The bad news is that they’re forced by their salary cap situation to operate in the fringes. In all likelihood, they’re stuck with what they have. Unfortunately, it won’t nearly be enough moving forward.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
Warriors’ woes
Philippines Pandemic
Post a Comment