As the defending NBA Champions, it’s hard to rule out the Golden State Warriors this season. Even with a 34-33 record (and an absolutely putrid performance on the road), Dub Nation continues to be a team everyone is keeping their eyes on.
But for ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins, he’s not convinced the Warriors are capable of turning it on. Speaking on ‘Get Up’ this week, the former NBA big man revealed his thoughts on Golden State and where they stand heading into the stretch run.
“They could flip [the switch] on and then they’re going to realize the light bill wasn’t paid because the lights ain’t coming on this year,” said Perk. “For the first time, I can say that the Warriors don’t have an identity. And that’s crazy because we already know in the era of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond that they always had an identity. Not offensively, but defensively. And when I see them, I see a disconnect. I don’t know why, but they are not tied together on the defensive end. I don’t see Draymond being that leader where he’s talking guys through coverages. I don’t see them running their offense fluidly.”
.@KendrickPerkins believes the Warriors' season is over.
"The lights ain't coming on this year." pic.twitter.com/HpvkCJ9itN
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 10, 2023
It’s hard to pinpoint the exact source of Golden State’s woes. On paper, their top lineups are still performing well, and Stephen Curry is healthy again as he looks better than ever.
Yet, somehow, the Warriors can’t seem to win a game on the road. Not only is their defensive effort inconsistent, but guys like Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson are making mistakes that we didn’t see a year ago when they made a run for the NBA championship.
Can The Dubs Turn The Season Around?
As it stands, the Warriors are 6th in the West and just 3.5 games back from the 4th-seeded Suns. They are also 2.5 games back from the 13th-ranked Trail Blazers.
With just a few weeks to go in the regular season, the narrow is thin for the Warriors if they want to avoid the play-in or secure home-court advantage in the first round. Despite their play all season long, however, the team remains confident they can go toe-to-toe with anybody in the West.
“We believe that if we are whole, we can beat anybody because we’ve proven it. We proved that last year,” said head coach Steve Kerr.
We will see soon enough if the Warriors can turn it on for the postseason, but if they aren’t careful, they may not make the postseason at all.
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