The Warriors are facing considerable adversity for the first time in a long time, but that could be a blessing in disguise.
For the week of Monday, Mar. 13 – Sunday, Mar. 19
Record: 1-3
If the record above appears unusual to you, well, that’s because it is.
It’s been quite some time since the Warriors last lost three regular season games in a row – 297 games, to be exact – which leaves Golden State in a situation they’ve never experienced under the tutelage of Steve Kerr.
It’s not a grand leap by any means to state that the Dubs have gone through a rough patch as of late. In the aftermath of Kevin Durant’s injury, their typically explosive offense has fallen off precipitously, and their margin of error has diminished considerably as a result. But this recent downturn hasn’t occurred in a vacuum. Aside from the aforementioned injury to a critical member of the roster, their recent schedule has been a gauntlet that was bound to negatively impact any team that went through it.
Eight games – seven of which were on the road – in eight different cities over a span of 13 days. The Warriors flew more than 11,000 miles over that stretch, roughly the equivalent of a flight from Oakland to China…and back. At least half of their opponents in that period are likely headed to the playoffs, and several of them rank amongst the top performing teams in the league since the All-Star break. Simply put, the deck has been stacked against Golden State lately, and they haven’t measured up to the adversity to the degree that they’d like.
But all is not lost. Despite their recent struggles, the Warriors still possess the best record in the entire NBA. Now through the other side of that gauntlet, the schedule gets much more favorable from this point on with only five road games remaining, and Steve Kerr is of the mindset that this current adversity will be beneficial when all is said and done.
“This is going to sound crazy, but I kind of like [adversity],” Kerr said following Monday’s practice, Golden State’s first session in more than a week. “I actually kind of like it. I think you need some adversity. We obviously have some, probably for the first time in two-and-a-half years in terms of the regular season. I think adversity can help. As I said, it forces you to examine what you’re doing, clean some things up and get right. I think this is going to be good for us in the long run because we’re going to tighten up a lot of things.”
He didn’t stop there, though. In using the visual elements at his disposal, Kerr intimated that the adversity they face today could prove crucial in achieving the team’s ultimate goal.
“I thought last year we just kept winning through a lot of the slippage late in the season, and it helped us hang that tiny little banner on the wall over there. But we didn’t hang the big one over there, and we like the big one better. So, in a weird way, I think this can be helpful down the stretch.”
The little banner Kerr pointed to was that of the ‘Western Conference Champions’ Golden State received last season. The bigger ones that they prefer, of course, are reserved for league championships.
It hasn’t been pretty, and it hasn’t been easy. But if the Warriors are to achieve what they set out to do at the season’s commencement, it’s quite possible this recent stretch could serve as a blessing in disguise. The Dubs are in the business of winning championships after all, and the entire remainder of the regular season will be about preparing themselves – both physically and mentally – to add another big banner to the collection.
Standout Spotlight: Ian Clark
In what has been a predominantly dark stretch, it’s important to not ignore the silver linings, and in this case, the play of Ian Clark has been one of Golden State’s brightest spots.
“Ian has earned his minutes, for sure,” said Kerr. “What I love about Ian is that he’s in and out of the rotation, sometimes based on matchups and size, but he always stays ready. He’s the ultimate pro. He stays ready, stays confident, and he’s been great the last three or four games.”
Kerr is right. It’s not just the career-high 36 points on 15-of-21 shooting in 34 minutes he achieved on Saturday in San Antonio, in what was the first 30-point game by a Warriors reserve in almost three years. It’s also the three-pointer he made eight seconds after entering the game for the first time on Monday against the Hawks, and the five points he scored in his first 90 seconds of action on Friday against the Timberwolves. It’s not easy to get in a rhythm when you don’t know where and when your minutes are going to come, and the fact that Clark has stayed ready and taken advantage of his sporadic opportunities points to the true professional he is. He may not be the most crucial player on the roster, but if he continues to play like this, you can bet more opportunities are on the way.
The Week Ahead:
If there was ever a time when the Warriors could use some home cooking, now might be it. And, luckily, that’s precisely what their schedule provides. Golden State has played only one home game since February 26th, but they’ll triple that number in the week ahead. First comes a matchup with the visiting 76ers on Tuesday before hosting the Magic and Bucks on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. Each game will close out the season series with that particular Eastern Conference opponent, all of which currently possess records below .500. In the NBA, nothing is a given, but it’s a far more favorable weekly slate than the one the Warriors just completed, if only just because they get to stay in one place. Now, all they have to do is take advantage of it.