Stephen Curry's angry fling of the ball after falling behind the Miami Heat by 18 points late in the fourth quarter marked yet another depressing moment in the Warriors' unpredictable season. Notwithstanding Curry's incredible 31 points and eight three-pointers, the Heat, fresh off a difficult double-overtime defeat, competed with greater vigor than the sluggish Golden State team.
The Warriors, who started the season 12-3, have seen a sharp drop in performance, going 7-17 in their next 24 games. Historically, no club that started 12-3 or better has ever fallen below.500 at any point during the same season. Golden State is looking for answers as a result of its patchy play and losses, which include a 51-point rout to Memphis and a home loss to Toronto.
Boston's trip to the Chase Center will serve as a reminder of the same doubts the Warriors faced two and a half seasons ago—before they eventually won another championship. Despite the fact that Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and other players are still sidelined, the team's management is hesitant to make any significant roster changes. Head coach Steve Kerr says there is still a lot of fight left in the current roster, which must strike a balance between helping Curry win a fifth championship and protecting the franchise's future.
As the deadline of February 6 draws closer, Golden State's front staff is still considering trade options among roster concerns. During the Curry era, the team hasn't made many significant in-season deals despite having a number of choices. Getting healthy, developing young players like Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga, and, most importantly, providing Curry with the tools he needs to make another run in the postseason are still the top priorities. The two-time MVP, for his part, maintains that the Warriors are still a real threat if they can just get back on track.