“Buck Up”: Stephen Curry & Steve Kerr Not Ready to Hit ‘Panic’ Button Yet Despite Warriors’ Blowout in Memphis

A visit to Memphis for the Golden State Warriors was meant find success once again. Instead, the Bay experienced one of the worst losses in the history of the franchise. Even with Ja Morant out early, the Grizzlies’ hot shooting and tenacity saw them lead by 31 by half. By the end of the game, that was stretched to 51 points. Stephen Curry and the Warriors were completely outplayed on both sides of the floor. Is anything else needed for panic to set in?

Surprisingly yes.

After the landslide loss, Steve Kerr called the defeat “humbling”. However, the Warriors still aren’t flustered despite having lost three games in a row. Kerr is confident that his players will turn the script. “I know who we are. I know what our team is about… And I know we’re going to bounce back and we’re going to recoup. So I’m not concerned about that but we got a lot of work to do to learn how to execute under pressure, take care of the ball and get good shots” he said.

Stephen Curry too echoed a similar sense of certainty when speaking to the media. The Chef had one of his worst nights, scoring just 2 points, the second-lowest tally of his illustrious career. Curry though feels the team is well aware of what is supposed to be done and isn’t restless despite the bad results.

“Accept where you’re at and buck up and try to figure out how to change the momentum of the season. Panic kind of means you don’t have an answer. I think we do have answers. There’s obviously a sense of urgency, for sure,” said the two-time MVP.

Even though their ninth loss in 11 games, the Warriors have displayed how formidable they are with everything in tune. Additionally, tonight was also the first game of accommodating Dennis Schroder in the system which might have caused some discourse. But the Bay have recovered from worse before.

Where is it going wrong for Stephen Curry and the Warriors?

Just a few weeks ago, the Warriors sat as one of the top seeds in the West. Their offense worked swiftly and the depth paved way for their high-octane play to remain consistent throughout the game. But that hasn’t been the case. Over the last 11 games, the Warriors rank 27th in points scored per game.

In that regard, Stephen Curry hasn’t been able to set into his rhythm, averaging just 21 points on 38.7% shooting in that stretch. Furthermore, Buddy Hield, who began the season being a colossal threat has waned in his scoring production. However, the bigger issue is their inability to get stops.

The Warriors have let opponents shoot 39.9% from three in their 11-game doom stretch. That’s the second-highest percentage across all teams. Their poor perimeter defense was also the recipe for tonight’s humiliation with the Grizzlies knocking down 27 of their 48 attempts from distance.

Hence, rather than flawed schemes, Steve Kerr and the Warriors desperately need to polish their tactics. They have proven to work, but in these past few weeks execution has been the nagging point. Bringing Stephen Curry back into a rhythm will slowly open up the floor for others, and Kuminga and Wiggins have been the bright spots in capitalizing on such freedom.

It has been a hellish stretch, but don’t count the Bay out just yet. Do you think the Warriors can recover? Let us know your views in the comments below.