2023-24: Warriors Season in Review

The 2023-24 Warriors dealt with adversity both on and off the court as seasoned veterans and ascending young talent collaborated for a 46-win season. Despite difficult circumstances, including the tragic passing of 'Coach Deki' and multiple Draymond Green suspensions, the Warriors endured and overcame a sub .500 record through 43 games and finished the season strong. Over their final 39 games, the Dubs had a 27-12 record, on pace with the top seeds in the Western Conference. The Dubs finished the season in 10th place in the West at 46-36, tied for the best record for a team not to make the playoffs since the 2013-14 Phoenix Suns (48-34). Read below for some of the most notable storylines from this season. 

FINISHING STRONG
The Warriors' 2023-24 season was a tale of two halves. Through 43 games, the Dubs were just 19-24 (44.2 win percentage), but they ended the season 27-12 (69.2 win percentage), including winning 10 of their final 12 contests. Their 10 wins in the final 12 games were the most in the league to finish the season and they were tied for second in field goal percentage (50.2%) and third in 3-point percentage (40.0%) over that span. 

LEAGUE-LEADING 48 'CLUTCH TIME' GAMES
The Warriors played a league-high 48 'clutch time' games this season —games in which the score was within five points in the final five minutes. The Dubs won half of those contests (24), tied for the third-most clutch wins and their 24 losses were the sixth-most league-wide. Stephen Curry was named the NBA's second-ever Clutch Player of the Year for his impact down the stretch as he led the NBA in clutch points (189), field goals (59) and 3-pointers (32). The Warriors earned 23 of their 24 clutch wins with Curry in the lineup and were 1-4 without him in those scenarios. Curry hit two game-winning shots in the final second — a deep 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds left against the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 10 and a crafty layup with 0.2 seconds left against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Nov. 3.

ROAD SUCCESS
The Warriors won 25 road games this season, more than doubling last season's total (11). The Dubs were one of six teams with at least 25 road wins, joining the New Orleans Pelicans (28), Boston Celtics (27), Los Angeles Clippers (26), Minnesota Timberwolves (25) and Dallas Mavericks (24). They went nearly a month without a road loss, winning eight straight games from Feb. 5 through March 1. Head Coach Steve Kerr won Coach of the Month for February as the Warriors won a league-best 11 games, with eight of those wins coming on the road. The Warriors were tied for second in the league in scoring away from home (118.0), compared to 11th at Chase Center (117.5). 

HONORING STAR-STUDDED TRIO
On Nov. 30 2023, the Warriors honored the NBA's longest-tenured trio — Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green — with each number of the date corresponding to a number of a member of the trio. This season was the trio's 12th as teammates and their 10th sharing the court together, as Thompson missed two seasons due to injury (achilles and ACL) and Curry played just five games due to a hand injury in the 2019-20 season. This season, Thompson led the league in free throw percentage (91.7%) and finished fourth in made 3-pointers (268), Curry finished first in made threes (357), made his franchise-record-tying 10th All-Star appearance and was named Clutch Player of the Year and Draymond Green shot a career-best 39.5 percent from three while continuing to make an all-around impact. Despite winning 46 games, the trio failed to make the postseason for the first time in which they all finished the season healthy (they missed the playoffs in both seasons Thompson missed due to injury). 

KUMINGA'S ASCENSION
Although two Draymond Green suspensions caused him to miss 17 games and an additional four to return to proper conditioning, the prolonged absence did thrust Jonathan Kuminga into a more significant role. The third-year forward took a substantial leap in his third season, increasing his scoring output by over six points per game (9.9 to 16.1). Kuminga played the most games (74) and made the most starts (46) of his career and made the most of his opportunities as one of three players this season to average at least 16 points in fewer than 27 minutes per game (joined by Indiana's Myles Turner and Utah's Collin Sexton). The athletic forward etched his name in Warriors' history this season as the youngest player in franchise history to eclipse 1,000 points in a season and he recorded the most dunks in a season in Warriors history (138) since play-by-play data was first tracked in 1997-98. 

IMPACTFUL ROOKS
Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis were among the NBA's most impactful rookies this season. Podziemski was selected for the Rising Stars game during All-Star weekend and was the only rookie to lead his team in plus-minus (+264). Podziemzki showcased a well-rounded skillset as a rebounder, playmaker, defender, and timely scorer/shotmaker. Jackson-Davis earned an increased role primarily in the second half of the season, where he eventually was a consistent presence in the starting lineup. Jackson-Davis led the team in paint scoring (324 points) and blocks (76) while becoming the first Warriors rookie with 100 dunks in a season since play-by-play data was first tracked in 1997-98. The 19th and 57th picks of the 2023 draft combined for 45 starts (including the Play-In Tournament) and their rookie campaigns showcased the foundation of a seemingly bright futures ahead.