The reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors find themselves in a spot this iteration has never seen — and to the most unlikely of characters.
They’ve stared down LeBron James multiple times, did battle with and against Kevin Durant, and saw Kawhi Leonard across the way in multiple uniforms, but it’s the Sacramento Kings who are up 2-0 in the first round of their playoff series following another thriller Monday night in Sacramento.
How did Golden State fall behind 2-0 for the first time in the Stephen Curry era?
Faster, stronger, louder
Ever play a podcast on 1.5X speed? That’s what Sacramento looks like, particularly on its home court.
The Kings are relentless and exploiting every single Warriors mistake — leaving the champions playing from behind, or at least on their heels — at all times throughout this series. Part of it could be attributed to the Warriors’ woes on the road, which wouldn’t be automatically fixed by the return of Andrew Wiggins. It’s almost unfair to expect a player to return after such a lengthy absence to fit in so easily, especially at this level of playoff competition.
At every turn he and his teammates are literally staring at the backs of someone wearing a Kings jersey. There's De’Aaron Fox, blowing by or stepping back. Either way it’s an attack and in clear space. Malik Monk, playing without a conscience or care about the Warriors’ pedigree. Harrison Barnes, preening and flexing at his old mates as if this is personal for him. Barnes missed eight of his 13 shots Monday night, but it feels in reverse, and everything he made felt devastating.
Heck, everything the Kings do is fast and with intention. They’re not dancing around the Warriors, but attacking them and doing it strategically. They’re being who we thought the Memphis Grizzlies would be if not for their own self-destructive devices. The Warriors are backed into a corner, one that won’t be so easily fixed by a westward trip along I-80 and some good old Chase Center energy. Fox is torching their pick-and-roll defense, attacking the gaps or relying upon a confident jumper. He knows where he wants to go and will zig-zag his way to the spot to unleash whatever shot he has in his trick bag. Gary Payton II, Draymond Green and Wiggins are reliable, excellent defenders — it just doesn’t look like it matters.
Gaps in concentration
Whether it’s Jordan Poole playing reckless and throwing up nonsense with very little hope of going in, or Draymond Green flying a little too close to the sun and taking a page from Ndamukong Suh’s greatest hits (or kicks), or the usually reliable Klay Thompson passing up a late layup to hit Wiggins for a 3-point attempt that missed when a two would’ve given them a Game 1 lead, it seems like the Warriors are not only a physical step slow but a mental one, too.
There were multiple possessions in Game 2, particularly after Green’s ejection midway through the fourth, where the ball barely got inside the 3-point line. It was almost as if there was a forcefield where the paint was, and the shot clock was often in the five-second range and it looked like there were no intentions to even look at the the paint. That’s particularly hard to do against a bad defensive team that has suddenly found some energy on that end, but still a task the Warriors should correct without much prodding. Yes, Poole was a disaster with his 1-of-7 night that honestly felt like 1-for-17, but Curry and Green each had five turnovers. Curry was 0-of-5 from three in the fourth while making all five of his shots attacking the basket.
The officials gave Green the benefit of the doubt for his hipcheck of Domantas Sabonis, but Green trying to free himself of a leg grab — in his words — led to him stomping too hard on Sabonis stomach — again, his words. He could just be clumsy and unaware of where his feet were in trying to extricate himself from Sabonis as the Warriors were mounting a comeback and going the other way. But the officials were not willing to give him the benefit two times around, leading to a Flagrant 2 foul and ejection.
Be careful what you wish for
Warriors coach Steve Kerr believes the Warriors pulling to within one with three minutes left — following all the histrionics and Green’s ejection — was a sign the Warriors weren’t in a bad spot. True … kinda? While the champions had clawed into a position to win, it doesn’t feel like they have a grip on this series.
The Kings blitzed them in the second quarter and were playing from ahead the rest of the way. Sure, it keeps the Warriors in a stalking position, but that’s not the best version of these Warriors — going back to sliding themselves into the sixth spot as the better of all evils in this playoff setup. They probably didn’t want to see Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns this early if they wound up fifth, and certainly didn’t want to be in the play-in if they were anywhere below the sixth spot — they know how treacherous that can be.
Landing in sixth seemed like a safe place for them because of the Kings’ inexperience, but it doesn’t seem like safety now. It’s clear and present danger. It’s not the toughest fix, but there are changes Kerr and Co. will have to make before this thing gets out of hand.
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