Even before All-Star guard Stephen Curry got injured, the Warriors were struggling this season.
Curry's individual stats were on par with his unanimous MVP year in 2015-16, averaging 30.0 points, 6.8 assists, 6.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game on .500/.434/.919 shooting splits. And yet, the defending champions were on the outside looking in on the playoff race.
When Curry suffered a left shoulder injury that would cause him to miss "a few weeks," it was almost certain things would fall off the rails for Golden State.
MORE: The latest news on Curry's shoulder injury
With Curry, Klay Thompson (rest), Andrew Wiggins (adductor), Donte DiVincenzo (illness) and JaMychal Green (health and safety protocols) all sidelined for the Warriors' road game against the Nets on Wednesday, Golden State was already fighting an uphill battle.
Things went from bad to worse quickly, as the Warriors fell behind 46-17 (!) in the first quarter before losing by 30 points in Brooklyn.
The loss dropped Golden State to 15-18 overall on the season, sitting in 11th place and outside the Play-In Tournament. It also fell to 3-16 on the road, the worst road record in the NBA.
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After the game, head coach Steve Kerr spoke candidly about the Warriors' play so far this season.
"You are what your record says you are," Kerr said, according to ESPN's Kendra Andrews. "It was a bad road trip. We are 15-18, so we're a below-.500 team, and we've got to find a way to reverse that."
Rising star Jordan Poole, who signed a four-year, $123 million extension this offseason, was supposed to be the player to step up in the absence of Curry. While he was averaging 32.7 points — including a 43-point performance against the Raptors — in the three games without Curry, he was particularly bad in Wednesday's loss.
Poole finished the game with 13 points while shooting 4-for-17 from the field and 1-for-11 from 3 with seven turnovers. Kerr was straightforward in saying they need better play from their key reserve and interim starter.
"The simpler (Poole) plays, the easier shots (he) gets. It sounds like a bit of a paradox, but it's been an issue here for us the past few games," Kerr said. "The last couple of nights (he was) just trying way too hard."
The Warriors will return home to San Francisco with a few days off before they host the Grizzlies at Chase Center for a highly anticipated Christmas Day showdown.
