There is no doubt that the Golden State Warriors are one of the best teams in the entire NBA.
In fact, a smart person would put some money on them making it all the way to the Western Conference Finals, if not the NBA Finals too.
However, it’s safe to say that the Warriors are going through their roughest stretch of the season so far.
They have lost six of the last 10 games and haven’t been looking like themselves.
There is time to rebound – and they likely will – but it’s important to figure out why they are having so many problems right now.
Curry Is Cold
If the Warriors are one of the best teams in the league, Stephen Curry is one of the best players.
But lately he’s been lacking in some of the ways he’s most reliable.
Curry’s 2022 isn’t off to a great start.
As 2021 came to a close, he was averaging 27.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 5.3 three-pointers a game.
Right now, he’s making 19.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 2.9 three-pointers.
Since breaking the NBA's all-time three-pointers made record not too long ago, Steph Curry has had his share of shooting struggles in January so far:
33.7 FG%
27.5 3P%Is this a cause of concern for the Warriors? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/t6d11ZibHF
— Fadeaway World (@FadeawayWorld) January 13, 2022
His three-point percentage has dropped nearly 10 points and his field goal percentage is down about five points too.
More troubling is the fact that Curry is missing some of the shots he would usually make with his eyes closed.
Lay-ups and even free throws are proving challenging for Curry and this is setting the team back.
When Curry goes cold, the rest of the team does too.
It’s because they – like the rest of us – just aren’t used to him not playing well.
Need The Green
Draymond Green is out of the Warriors’ lineup right now and this couldn’t come at a worse time.
Not only is Green a great offensive force, but he’s also the smartest and most effective defensive component of the team.
And he’s also a voice of reason and enthusiasm for the Warriors too.
“This game showed us … why Draymond green is the heart and soul of the Golden State Warriors. … They swag has been missing and it’s missing because of Draymond.”
—@KendrickPerkins on the Warriors recent struggles pic.twitter.com/RWKMRJL6Fz
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 14, 2022
You’ve likely seen Green on the sidelines getting players hyped up in the middle of the game.
He has a huge impact on the game and, right now, they need that.
So with Curry hurting and Green on the bench, the team is missing its best offensive and defensive players.
Thompson Troubles
Some worried that Klay Thompson would need some time to adjust to playing in the NBA again.
Well, it looks like those worries were founded because Thompson is still not playing like himself 100 percent yet.
His career averages are 19.5 pionts, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists a game.
Right now, Thompson is creating 13.8 points, three rebounds, and 1.8 assists.
He’s not performing horribly but he’s not at the level that we are used to and it’s obvious that it’ll be a bit longer before he’s operating at full capacity.
Unfortunately, this only adds to the Warriors’ troubles.
It comes at a time when they desperately need someone to step up as Curry struggles and Green remains injured.
If the Warriors can be thankful for anything, it’s that all of these issues are happening now, in January, rather than in the final weeks of the season.
There is still plenty of time to fix the problems and have a wonderful rest of the season.
NEXT: The Warriors Are Desperately Missing 1 Key Star