Golden State Warriors: Chemistry Issues Could Prove Costly In Playoffs

Will the Golden State Warriors manage to fix their chemistry and late-game issues in time for the playoffs?

When the Golden State Warriors signed Kevin Durant last summer, they seemed poised to crush the rest of the league. For many people, including myself, it didn’t look like there’s much of a reason to watch basketball anymore.

But hold on, folks. This thing may not be that easy. At the end of the day, even a super team needs time to develop chemistry.

We should have learned our lesson after watching Miami’s Big Three fail in the Finals during their first year together.

But this new incarnation of the Golden State Warriors are once again reminding us about the challenges that come with super teams.

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The biggest problem for the Warriors seems to be late-game execution. Most recently, we saw the Warriors blow a 24-point lead against the Grizzlies and made a number of questionable decisions down the stretch.

The most interesting aspect of that Warriors’ collapse was when cameras caught Draymond Green in the middle of a heated conversation with Kevin Durant. Green appeared to be upset at Durant for going one-on-one with Zach Randolph rather than running a set play.

"[via The Mercury News]“Steph should have set the screen on me, and we should have played and put some pressure on the rim, maybe, and got two on the ball, and kind of move the defense a little bit. And that’s on me. I felt like I had a matchup I liked,” Durant later told reporters."

The Warriors’ collapse against the Grizzlies came just a couple of weeks after the Christmas Day disaster, where they folded down the stretch and came up short against the Cavs.

As Steph Curry sat on the bench during the final seconds of that Christmas classic, Kyrie Irving drove on Klay Thompson and nailed a tough turnaround jumper to sink the Warriors.

Curry didn’t exactly look thrilled about Steve Kerr’s decision.

"[via The Mercury News]“It’s (Kerr’s) call obviously, but the competitive nature, you want to be out there to make a play,” Curry said. “That’ll never die in me.”"

Kerr’s response?

"“[Curry] is a big boy. He’s a two-time MVP. He’s an unbelievably mature, thoughtful person. He was, I’m sure, upset how the game went for him just like I was upset after the game. But in the end, we’re all together, win or lose, keep pushing forward.”"

Sure, the Golden State Warriors will keep pushing forward and they will likely end up with the best record in the league. But will the Warriors have enough time to fix these issues that could be costly in the playoffs?

In the next few months, will they develop enough chemistry to match the Cavs’ chemistry? Can Steph control his ego if Durant is suddenly the go-to-guy down the stretch? Can Durant stay cool if he’s not the one taking the big shot?

The answer to all these questions could be yes. At the same time, maybe we shouldn’t be surprised if the Warriors will need more than a season to fix some of the issues we have already seen. Especially with the Cavs now adding Kyle Korver, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say the Warriors have taken a back seat as the favorites.

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That may be bad news for Golden Stats Warriors’ fans. But that’s great news for the basketball purists.

After all, no matter how much talent a team has, it’s just not supposed to be easy.

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