The Warriors find themselves in a bit of trouble to open the NBA Playoffs.
After dropping the first two games of its first-round series with the Kings, Golden State faces a 2-0 series deficit for the first time in the Stephen Curry era. And while this is new territory for Curry's Warriors, this is a group that has a history of figuring things out when their backs are against the wall.
There aren't any moral victories when facing a 2-0 series deficit, but there are some positives the Warriors can take from the first two games.
To start, Golden State, which was historically poor on the road this past season, remained within striking distance in both games despite a frantic pace from Sacramento and a raucous showing from its crowd. In Game 1, Curry's game-tying 3-point attempt fell short at the buzzer and in Game 2, Curry had another opportunity to tie the game with under three minutes remaining before the Kings pulled away.
All things considered, the Warriors had chances despite playing well below their championship standard. There are a few ways in which they can improve to get back into the series as it shifts to San Francisco.
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Improving in the non-Curry minutes
Small sample size alert! Unfortunately for the Warriors, small sample sizes are enough to spell doom in a playoff series.
Through two games, the Warriors' performance tanks when Curry isn't on the floor in this series.
When Curry is on the floor, Golden State posts an offensive rating of 114.6 and a defensive rating of 109.0, equating to a net rating of 5.6. When Curry steps off the floor, the offensive rating plummets to 91.7 and their defensive rating surges to 148.7, a net rating of -57.0 (per PBP Stats).
That's… not good!
Offensive and defensive ratings aren't individual stats, but they do suggest that early on, Golden State has been incapable of putting together any type of successful lineups that don't involve Curry.
The issue has a fairly simple fix: role players can step up — especially at home — and a few key players can step up, specifically…
Jordan Poole can play much better
Just one year ago, Poole was out to a historic start to the NBA Playoffs. At times this year, it's been difficult for head coach Steve Kerr to play him at times.
Offensively, Poole was much better in Game 1 than in Game 2, in which he turned in a disappointing performance, something that could be a product of a sprained ankle that he played with.
Steve Kerr's full comments on Jordan Poole gutting it out during game two: pic.twitter.com/G1YX5wjz8b
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) April 20, 2023
The injury could explain why Poole was limited to just four points on 1-of-7 shooting from the field in Game 2, and why at times, he did not show a playoff-level of engagement when on the floor.
Despite the team being within striking distance of the Kings, Poole saw no playing time in the final frame of Game 2 as the team allowed Moses Moody to spell Andrew Wiggins on the perimeter for a few minutes, while Curry, Gary Payton II and Klay Thompson played for the entire frame.
Poole is coming off of a career year in which he averaged 20.4 points while appearing in all 82 games. Like the Warriors, Poole performs better at home, and two days of rest could allow him to feel a bit fresher for Games 3 and 4.
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Taking better care of the ball
During the regular season, Golden State was actually the league's worst team at taking care of the ball, averaging a league-high 16.8 turnovers per game.
That said, Game 2 was poor, even for the Warriors.
With Curry and Draymond Green committing five apiece, Golden State coughed the ball up 22 times in Game 2, which ultimately led to 25 points for Sacramento.
MORE: Can the Warriors come back from down 2-0 vs. Kings?
Live ball turnovers allow the Kings to keep the pace where they want it and in their home games, the fast play and scoring in transition kept the energy high in Sacramento's home arena.
Like the Kings, the Warriors feed off of their home crowd, which gives them one of the best advantages in the NBA. At home, Golden State has an opportunity to tighten things up and build some habits to take back on the road if it hopes to extend the series.
Andrew Wiggins shaking off more rust
After missing two months of action to tend to a family matter, Wiggins was back in action to start the playoffs. Given the intensity and speed of playoff action, it isn't exactly the easiest place to pick things back up.
Wiggins' rust was evident in Game 1 — after coming off the bench for the first time in his career, he finished with 17 points in 28 minutes but shot just 1-of-8 from 3-point range. He was inserted back into the starting lineup in Game 2, where he upped his scoring total to 22 points, a total that could have been higher had he cashed in on a few close-range looks he normally finishes.
Slowly but surely, Wiggins is rounding back into form. As the series goes on, the timing will get better, the jumper will fall more and, most importantly, his rim pressure and finishing will be back.
Late in Game 2, Golden State seemed to have found a solution with a lineup of Curry, Payton, Thompson, Wiggins and Green. And while Green has been suspended for Game 2, consistent improvement in Wiggins' play could again make him an X-factor, similar to how he was during the team's run to a title in 2022.
